Chapter 33 A Token of Love? How about I give you a garden full of spring colors? ...I...
Three days later, the first snow suddenly fell on the sect leader's peak.
A flash of light streaked across the snow-covered mountains as Xiao Huaiyuan flew in from beyond the heavens on his sword, landing beside a small, writhing shadow.
Fu Ming was squatting in the flower bed, digging in the soil.
The spot where the dead tree once stood has been cleared, and a few saplings have sprung up from the snowy mud, their two or three remaining green leaves pointing skyward, as if they were triumphant in the spring breeze.
Buying trees is one thing, but to plant them by hand is quite another; it's really hard to guess what his senior brother is thinking.
Seeing Fu Ming working so hard, tamping the soil and watering it, Xiao Huaiyuan couldn't bear to dampen his enthusiasm, so he carefully chose his words: "This is your...gift?"
"What else could it be?"
Upon seeing his direct superior, Xiao Huaiyuan, come to inspect the place, Fu Ming spread out his mud-covered hands, showing him his empty palms.
Just as they were talking, a cold wind blew by, scattering snowflakes. The peach saplings swayed and trembled, looking as if they were about to pass away.
Xiao Huaiyuan quickly formed a hand seal to protect the saplings from suffering the same fate as his clansmen: "The hand-planted peach trees are indeed unique, but the mountains are bitterly cold. Why not wait until next spring to sow them?"
Fu Ming's hand movements suspiciously stopped.
We can't exactly say he'll be leaving soon, can we?
Fortunately, his greatest strength is his ability to talk a lot of nonsense.
Fu Ming grinned and began to exaggerate: "What's wrong with planting trees in winter? Where there's a will, there's a way. I've heard that there's a secret method for bringing the dead back to life and healing the wounded hidden in a certain secret realm in the far north. If the boundary between life and death can be crossed, then there's nothing in this world that can't be done."
After saying that, he rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and breathed out white mist. Although it is said that each autumn rain brings a chill, the weather had indeed turned cold much faster than expected.
Xiao Huaiyuan also pondered in a very cooperative manner, as if he had really been intimidated by him. His brows relaxed, and even his tone softened a lot: "You are right, the world is full of wonders."
Fu Ming's words struck the softest spot in his heart.
When he first entered the Tianyan Sect, he was slow to enter the Dao. His senior brother was also convinced that he was an unparalleled genius who would surely make a name for himself and slap his arrogant cousins in the face. These were Fu Ming's original words. Although they were a bit vulgar, he remembered them for a long time. Later, he did indeed achieve this, but in a way that his senior brother had never imagined.
Now he knows that Fu Ming is just making up a pretext, but he still enjoys it.
Xiao Huaiyuan raised his hand to ward off the wind and snow, his wide sleeves fluttering in the surging spiritual energy without wind. According to ancient records, true immortals can reverse time and space, and powerful beings in the Tribulation Transcending stage can change the seasons. Although cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage do not possess such great power, they can still wipe away the rain and snow for their beloved.
Unfortunately, Fu Ming remained unmoved by Xiao Huaiyuan's peacock-like courtship display, instead viewing it as a provocative act by males to confirm their dominance.
This kid dares to show off in front of him? Who isn't a Nascent Soul cultivator?
Wait until he takes a dump before you beat him up.
Of course, Fu Ming still had a warm smile on his face. He stuck the shovel into the mud as a backrest, crossed his arms and squinted his eyes, striking a pose that straight men love to show off.
"Besides, I came prepared."
Xiao Huaiyuan seemed speechless, also stunned by Fu Ming's overwhelming aura: "Hmm?"
*Smack*
Fu Ming snapped his fingers, and the crisp sound fell to the ground, turning into a thick crimson cloud. Peach blossoms sprouted and bloomed, densely covering the branches, and in an instant, the entire mountain of the sect leader's peak was covered in peach blossoms.
How about I offer you a garden full of spring colors?
Outside, snow fell heavily, extinguishing all life, but the long-desolate Sect Leader Peak radiated a strange spring-like atmosphere.
The vibrant peach blossoms were reflected in Fu Ming's clear brown eyes, almost drowning Xiao Huaiyuan in this handful of peach blossom spring water.
Light pink petals fell from the treetops, drifting gently into Fu Ming's hair.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Huaiyuan caught the few frivolous flowers and hid them in his sleeve. Fu Ming, who had been being kept at arm's length by Xiao Huaiyuan for some time, didn't find anything wrong with such ambiguous actions.
He said gently, "Okay... I like it very much."
Fu Ming's upturned lips were barely contained; he was just short of bursting into laughter in front of the deeply moved Xiao Huaiyuan.
Successfully showed off!
It was worth it for him to spend an entire day in the library, a rare occurrence for him, and to quickly read through all the ancient books on formations.
Since Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot break through ten formations with one force like high-level cultivators, and Fu Ming is not a wood-element cultivator, he takes the unorthodox path of stacking formations.
The Living Beings Resting Array, combined with the Spirit Dispersing Array, can temporarily bring forth these millions of peach blossoms and also make the other withered trees appear in the shape of peach trees.
However, there are also downsides.
Fu Ming paused, then instructed his junior brother, a plant killer who could kill anything he tried, on how to properly care for plants: "It's freezing cold now, these peach blossoms will only last a day at most, after which they need to be properly cared for with geothermal heat."
He then used a shovel to dig away the rubble on one side, revealing intricate and elaborate dark red arrays inside. Injecting sufficient spiritual energy would activate the geothermal activity.
When handling it, the waist bends, revealing a perfectly curved arc.
Xiao Huaiyuan's Adam's apple bobbed as his thoughts wandered in a blind spot unnoticed by Fu Ming.
"What are you thinking about if you're not listening to me?" Fu Ming suddenly turned his head and asked.
Most people thought Xiao Huaiyuan's face was tense and he didn't show his emotions, but in Fu Ming's opinion, his junior brother's emotions couldn't be more obvious. Just like now, he was obviously lost in thought.
Fu Ming plucked a peach blossom, puffed out his cheeks, and blew away the petals. They drifted and floated, eventually sticking to Xiao Huaiyuan's nose. He couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Decades were enough time for him to grow his junior brother from a tiny little boy who wasn't even as tall as his waist into a giant who was half a head taller than him. Fu Ming had long regarded Xiao Huaiyuan as his closest brother in this world, but fate had other plans. In the end, he and Xiao Huaiyuan went their separate ways and embarked on two completely different paths.
Come to think of it, Xiao Huaiyuan probably didn't recognize him. If he had, he wouldn't have dared to be so presumptuous.
"I'm thinking."
After being caught daydreaming, Xiao Huaiyuan quickly returned to his senses and looked up into the distance.
"Now the abbot of Yunshan Temple and the lord of Yongcheng City have been arrested and brought to justice. The Ghost Market is also nearly completed. However, there are still considerable obstacles to trade with the Demon Realm."
"What do you mean?" Fu Ming tilted his head slightly, adopting the posture of a good student listening attentively.
“The Demon Realm does indeed have many resources that the Immortal Realm lacks. There have been many instances of private transactions in the past, but making them public is a different matter.” Xiao Huaiyuan frowned and pondered. “Firstly, the elders of the Immortal Alliance are unwilling, and secondly, the current Demon Lord also needs to make concessions.”
"Oh, since they object, there's no need to make it public. Let the ghost market remain; those who want to come will find their own way in. We just need to go with the flow and establish rules."
Xiao Huaiyuan repeated, "Go with the flow?"
"Whether one cultivates demonic arts, Taoist practices, or Buddhist practices, since they haven't yet ascended to immortality, they are still human, subject to the seven emotions and six desires, and insatiable greed. Even monks who spout Buddhist scriptures can forget righteousness for wealth. Look at Yunshan Temple in Yongcheng; it's only been built a few years ago, yet it has already erected golden statues and made countless offerings. Conversely, it can also win people's hearts. With more interaction, life becomes more stable, and there won't be so many feuds that lead to the extermination of nine generations of a family."
Fu Ming's words were inspired by a series of missions. He was a time traveler from the modern era, where although there were wars, the overall situation was relatively peaceful and stable.
"The original problem with the Ghost Market was that the ringleader took too much and then passed the harm on to others. If the benefits could be shared equally, the area outside the city wouldn't be full of dilapidated huts."
As Fu Ming spoke, his mind became more and more open-minded. Towards the end, the spiritual power within his body surged like the full moon and rising tide, vaguely breaking through some kind of barrier.
This feeling was both familiar and strange. In the early stages of his cultivation, advancement was as easy as eating and drinking; he was a once-in-a-millennium talent, fed by the heavens. But after reaching the Golden Core stage, he needed to undergo tribulation by lightning to advance. Each time, he would be chased by heavenly lightning and have a layer of skin struck off. His master, the old man, said that this was only because his mental state was not yet ready.
This time, the formation of the core in his clone was different from the past, and it felt quite natural. Fu Ming sat cross-legged on the spot and smoothly entered a meditative state.
The sky was dark and gloomy, and amidst the continuous light snow, a patch of pinkish-purple cloud suddenly appeared.
Xiao Huaiyuan was no stranger to this: "The Tribulation of Core Formation".
He immediately formed a hand seal to protect the talisman.
Normally, the Core Formation Tribulation wouldn't result in death, but Fu Ming is the most hated demonic cultivator by the Heavenly Dao, with a lot of blood on his hands, so he might be targeted separately.
The sky above Fu Ming was as bright as day, and thunder rumbled in the clouds. The moment he exhaled, fourteen bolts of lightning struck down simultaneously!
Xiao Huaiyuan kept a close eye on Fu Ming's expression, ready to intervene immediately if Fu Ming faltered.
Relying on external forces to overcome tribulation will affect one's soul, but he didn't want his senior brother to leave him, so he didn't care about that.
Boom!
The lightning bolts came with great force, but when they struck Fu Ming, seventy or eighty percent of their power was deflected, as if it was only at the last moment that it realized it had struck the wrong person.
Xiao Huaiyuan's worries were unfounded.
But thinking about it, it makes sense; if it were my senior brother, there's nothing he could possibly do.
Although he was unaware of a mysterious power called the Dragon Pride Aura, he had already grasped the true essence of the Dragon Pride Aura.
The electric current hesitantly jabbed at Fu Ming's shoulder, the pain almost as intense as a massage. Fu Ming felt like an office worker who had been sitting for long periods, his shoulders, neck, and back being ravaged by a massage therapist.
It's very sour.
Because of the forced incorporation of demonic energy into the Tai Xuan Mountain mine, Fu Ming's body was riddled with hidden injuries. The tribulation lightning was burning away the scars, allowing him to grow new flesh and blood.
His soul became increasingly stable and solidified amidst the cleansing of lightning. It must be said that the previous division of his soul had brought him considerable hidden dangers.
Fu Ming was almost in tears.
I've never seen such gentle lightning before!
Leaving aside the fact that he was struck by lightning at the Tianyan Sect, in the Demon Realm, he could be chased and struck by heavenly lightning, which could split an entire mountain. This time, even the peach tree leaves remained intact on the branches.
"Hehe, how about it? Increasing your merit and conduct points will greatly enhance your tribulation experience. This is a soul repair package you've requested, worth five merit points. Please pay."
The system's annoying mechanical voice also emerged at this moment.
Fu Ming made the purchase without hesitation.
"Please give us a thumbs up for our newly launched 'buy now, pay later' model—please don't close the window!"
Within the dantian, a perfectly round golden core spun and expelled impurities. If classified according to the standards of cultivation novels, it could be called a perfect ninth-grade golden core.
Four days had passed since the sun rose and set outside. When Fu Ming woke up, he was sitting on a futon, his body dry and clean, and he had changed into new clothes.
Xiao Huaiyuan is quite considerate.
But when he looked around, he didn't see a single person from Xiao Huaiyuan. He sat there all afternoon, only to hear knocking on the door.
"Please come in."
"Congratulations on achieving Core Formation, Junior Brother." Lin Han glanced at him with a complicated expression.
"The Immortal Alliance has informed us that the sect competition will resume within seven days. Disciples at the Golden Core stage and above are eligible to participate. Would you like to join?"
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Author's note: Waaah, I made the list, but it's a really hard-to-see list of toxic lists. I was so upset all afternoon, so the update is a bit late.
I've been really sorry to everyone for a while now. My writing hasn't been very good, and I've often been anxious and on the verge of a breakdown, but I can't change much due to my limited abilities. After thinking it over, I can only write more "play" in the "death escape" section, which will probably start in the next dungeon.
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