Chapter 147 The Annihilation of the Gu Family in the Nine Spirit Realms
Actually, Song Yin wasn't sure either. She had discussed this with Shen Yuzhu beforehand, and if it worked out, she asked her senior brother to look after Danque Peak before she returned.
After listening, Shen Yuzhu said, "Okay, but Junior Sister, you must come back."
It doesn't matter if they help take care of him, the most important thing is that he can come back.
Song Yin: "Don't worry, senior brother, I will definitely come back. Besides, it's not certain whether I will succeed."
Next, Song Yin explained the follow-up matters to Ruan Chaoxue and divided the promised reward among the three of them.
Ruan Chaoxue only knew that Song Yin was going out, but didn't know exactly what Song Yin was going out to do: "Huh? Does this mean I won't see Senior Sister for a long time again?"
Song Yin: "When I come back, you might see a different me. If there's anything else you can't do, you can go to Wujian Peak next door and ask my senior brother Elder Shen for help."
Nguyen Chao Tuyet agreed.
There's still one person I need to ask after going out.
"The sect leader suggested that I go to the place where the spacetime turbulence occurred, and take a look back at the world I once knew. Do you want to come along?" Song Yin asked Shi Heming.
"Wait a minute." Shi Heming turned around to pack his things.
Song Yin, who had no idea what he was doing: ?
Soon Shi Heming returned to her and said, "Everything is organized and stored in my space. I'll go with you."
Song Yin: "Let's make it clear beforehand that success is not guaranteed, and even if we do succeed, I'm not sure if we can actually get to that world."
Shi Heming: "Whether it succeeds or not, we'll know once we try."
“That’s what I think too,” Song Yin said with a smile.
Gu Tongguang was very happy when he heard that they were also going to the northern part of Dongzhou.
If you go to the northern part of Dongzhou, you might be lucky enough to encounter a spacetime turbulence; if you're unlucky and don't, you can only settle down there for now.
More people mean more strength.
Gu Tongguang rushed out, shouting, "Quick, quick! Let's get going! I can't wait to go home!"
Because Gu Tongguang was in a hurry to get home, the three of them used a teleportation array and teleported multiple times to a city in the north.
After emerging from the teleportation array, Gu Tongguang walked with a map in hand, saying, "We're still quite a distance from the location of the beast tide outbreak. We can reach it today by flying on our swords."
It's clear that Gu Tongguang is eager to return home.
Song Yin reminded him, "The spacetime turbulence only occurs multiple times in the north, so you should be mentally prepared."
Gu Tongguang: "Understood!" After saying that, he continued to look at the map excitedly, already thinking about the happy times after returning home.
When the three arrived at their destination, they found the area covered in signs of battle, including spells used by cultivators and damage caused by demonic beasts.
In some places, the land was scorched earth; in others, a chilling atmosphere prevailed; and in still others, the land was razed to the ground and the earth cracked open. It was clear that the beast tide was coming with overwhelming force.
Song Yin spread her divine sense to investigate the surrounding situation. "There are basically no demonic beasts left. The only ones left are ordinary animals and insects."
“Gu Tongguang, I don’t know about spacetime turbulence, but you, who have experienced it, should know it best. So we need you to tell us what state spacetime turbulence takes when it occurs and what changes will occur around us.”
A bird strayed into the area and sensed the gentle wood-attribute spiritual energy emanating from Song Yin. It boldly landed on Song Yin's shoulder, its head nimbly turning left and right as it curiously observed the group.
Song Yin felt the little guest on her shoulder and gently tapped its head with her finger.
Gu Tongguang: "When spacetime turbulence appears, there is no warning. It's like a bird on your shoulder; it appears suddenly. After it appears, the surrounding energy fluctuations are similar to when we are standing in a teleportation array, and there is also a sense of emptiness."
"A sense of emptiness?"
"Yes, the sense of nothingness. You will feel that there is nothingness there. Entering the spacetime turbulence may cause you to fall into other worlds, so we need anchor points. With anchor points, we can avoid falling into other worlds."
After saying that, Gu Tongguang took out a jade pendant, "Anchor points can also be items from the original world."
Song Yin looked at Shi Heming and blinked, "Then it's impossible for me to go to the previous world. I don't have any items on me that can serve as an anchor point."
Upon hearing this, Gu Tongguang said, "If that's the case, I don't recommend that you easily enter the spacetime turbulence. That would put you in an unfamiliar world, just like when I randomly fell into the Xuan Tian Realm."
"It's alright," Song Yin said as expected. "My situation is a little different from yours, so it's normal that we can't go back. If we encounter a spacetime turbulence later, just go home. Shi Heming and I will stay away to avoid being caught up in it."
The bird on Song Yin's shoulder tilted its head; it couldn't understand what people were saying. The next moment, it flapped its wings and flew away from Song Yin's shoulder.
The birds that flew towards the sky disappeared a few seconds later before they even reached their highest point.
They disappeared suddenly, without any warning.
Shi Heming noticed this and looked toward the place where the birds had disappeared.
In an instant, space seemed to be torn apart and distorted, and everything around seemed to disappear.
Shi Heming tilted his head back and stared intently, asking, "Is this the feeling you're experiencing right now?"
The moment the birds disappeared, an energy resembling a teleportation array was generated and gradually spread.
"Yes, that's the feeling..." Gu Tongguang's voice trailed off as he suddenly looked up in the direction Shi Heming was staring at. "And they're moving very fast... You guys need to get out of here!"
Gu Tongguang turned to Song Yin and the others and shouted, "Leave quickly, or you'll get dragged into this with me!"
Gu Tongguang's reminder was timely, but it couldn't stop the speed at which the spacetime turbulence appeared and expanded.
When Song Yin and Shi Heming sensed the energy changes, they had already been locked onto and drawn into the spacetime turbulence.
Gu Tongguang gritted his teeth, took out other items from his original world from his storage bag, and quickly tossed them into the hands of Song Yin and Shi Heming to prevent them from falling into the unknown world.
Suddenly, the world spins around you, and you can't even grab onto an object to steady yourself.
Shi Heming struggled against the dizziness and immediately reached out to firmly grasp Song Yin's hand beside him.
Good news: The transmission was successful.
Bad news: It's not the world I wanted to go to.
Once the dizziness subsided, Shi Heming went to look at Song Yin beside him.
Thank goodness! Thank goodness we didn't break up!
He helped Song Yin up and channeled spiritual energy into her to relieve her dizziness. "How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine." Song Yin calmed down and then observed the unfamiliar surroundings. "This isn't the cultivation world."
They should have been in the wilderness where monsters roamed, but there were houses and buildings here, which looked like a fairly large city.
"Where is Gu Tongguang?" Song Yin turned her head to look for Gu Tongguang, only to see Gu Tongguang getting up from the ground, his mouth slightly open as he looked around.
Gu Tongguang: "Am I back?" He wasn't sure if he had returned, because he didn't recognize the place.
Song Yin was still holding the purse that Gu Tongguang had thrown to her in his haste. She returned the purse to Gu Tongguang, saying, "Here's your purse."
Shi Heming also returned the thumb ring to him.
Gu Tongguang took back the two items. "I apologize. In my haste, I was afraid you would fall into an unfamiliar world, so I brought you here without permission. Back in the Xuan Tian Immortal Cultivation World, you helped me find the spacetime turbulence, and I will help you find it here as well."
Song Yin: "No need to apologize. The situation was urgent. It's always better to be in a world where you know people than to go to a completely unfamiliar place. Are you sure this is the Nine Spirit Realm?"
Gu Tongguang: "I need to ask."
Although they had fallen into a city, they were in a secluded, deserted alley, and no one noticed that there were three extra people there.
The three Nascent Soul stage cultivators tacitly concealed their cultivation levels and walked out of the alley.
Arriving at a crowded place, the streets were bustling with people, and vendors were constantly calling out their wares. Cultivators flew overhead on swords, and beggars in tattered clothes held bowls on street corners.
"You filthy beggar, get out of here! We gave you a steamed bun once, why are you still bothering us? You sit across from our shop every day, are we supposed to do business or not?"
"Hehehe, you can give us the ones you can't sell."
"Ordinary people are not allowed in our shop. It contains only top-quality elixirs, spiritual herbs, and magical artifacts. What will you use to compensate us if you get hurt?"
"Miss, the Immortal Sect is about to accept disciples. You will definitely be able to successfully join the sect."
This was the first time Song Yin had ever seen such a scene. "Do mortals and cultivators live together?"
To Song Yin's surprise, although the Nine Spirits Realm and the Xuantian Realm are two different worlds, they share the same written language, though there are some differences in accents. Overall, the two worlds are quite similar.
Gu Tongguang was already certain that this was the Nine Spirits Realm, but he still stopped a passerby to ask him questions.
"Brother, where is this place? Is it the Nine Spirits Realm?"
"What else could it be but the Nine Spirit Realms? He's sick." A passerby looked him up and down and then moved away. "He's dressed so smartly, but I didn't expect him to be an idiot. I'd better stay away. I can't bring his stupidity home. My child is waiting for the test to enter the immortal sect."
Gu Tongguang was mistaken for a rich man's foolish young master who ran away.
Gu Tongguang wasn't angry; all he could think about was: I'm back, I'm really back!
He turned around excitedly and said to Song Yin and Shi Heming, "I'm back! I'm home! Home, yes, home! You two can come back to the Gu family with me. You are my good friends, and I want to introduce you to my family."
Then Gu Tongguang stopped another person and asked, "Where is this? Which way do we go to Yanfeng City?"
As long as he knows where he is, he can figure out the way home.
"This place is Spirit Realm City, which is the territory of the Dust Abyss Kingdom."
“Dust Abyss Kingdom, Dust Abyss Kingdom…” Gu Tongguang rushed over to Song Yin and Shi Heming and said, “I am a citizen of Dust Abyss Kingdom. I know how to get there. I will take you back to Flame Wind City.”
After Gu Tongguang finished speaking, he summoned his spirit sword and ascended into the sky. Song Yin and Shi Heming followed and flew away.
Suddenly, someone flew up from the crowd, causing some people to gasp in surprise.
"They can fly! They're actually Foundation Establishment stage experts!"
Those who thought Gu Tongguang was a fool: Oh no, they've mistaken a Foundation Establishment stage immortal master for a fool!
Hearing some people's discussion, Song Yin asked Gu Tongguang, "Why are they calling someone at the Foundation Establishment stage a 'big shot'?"
Gu Tongguang: "You should be able to sense that the spiritual energy in the Nine Spirits Realm is not as abundant as that in the Xuantian Immortal Cultivation Realm, so the growth rate of cultivation is much slower than in the Xuantian Immortal Cultivation Realm."
"Moreover, in the Nine Spirit Realm, cultivators with a single spiritual root are extremely rare. When they do appear, they are called Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivators, and various sects and factions are vying to recruit them as their personal disciples. Those at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages can be called Ancestors, and if there is a Deity Transformation or Body Integration stage cultivator, they are called Dao Ancestors."
Calling those in the Nascent Soul stage and Body Integration stage Dao Ancestors? That's far too exaggerated! You should know that no one in the Upper Realm dares to call themselves Dao Ancestors.
Consider the Immortal Cloud Sect: there are many cultivators with single spiritual roots. Some elders won't accept you as a disciple just because you have a single spiritual root; they might choose to take on a disciple with dual spiritual roots who have better comprehension as their personal disciple.
Shi Heming asked Gu Tongguang, "Are there many people who ascend to immortality in the Nine Spirit Realms?"
Gu Tongguang: "Not many. Very few people in the Nine Spirits Realm ascend to immortality. The last senior who successfully ascended was someone from thousands of years ago."
Song Yin roughly understood what kind of world the Nine Spirit Realm was, but she still had to experience it for herself.
In the Nine Spirit Realm, Song Yin wasn't afraid of not being able to return, after all, there were living examples of people traversing between the two realms right before her eyes.
Gu Tongguang was eager to return home, and led Song Yin and the others straight to Yanfeng City.
After arriving in Flamewind City, the three landed.
Gu Tongguang, however, became timid and stopped at the city gate, not daring to go in.
Song Yin: "We've arrived in Yanfeng City, let's go."
Gu Tongguang chuckled sheepishly a few times. "Do you think they'll be angry when I go back, or maybe they'll forget about me?"
The three large characters at the city gate remained the same as when he left, and the wind blowing in was still that of Yanfeng City, but Gu Tongguang still dared not take that step.
Song Yin: "We don't yet know if the time flow in the two worlds is the same. What if they perceive you as having only been gone for a very short time?"
“You’re right, I need to ask how much time has passed.” Gu Tongguang mustered his courage and took his first step into Yanfeng City, then walked faster and faster.
Song Yin saw that Gu Tongguang was talking to a middle-aged man, and the two talked for quite a while.
Song Yin squeezed Shi Heming's hand: "Let's go in too."
The temperature in Yanfeng City was higher than in other places. When the two entered Yanfeng City, the residents were dressed lightly and comfortably. There were not many people like them who were dressed warmly from head to toe.
After asking his question, Gu Tongguang returned and said, "It's amazing that the flow of time is the same in both worlds."
Song Yin's eyes widened slightly; she also found it amazing.
Once they arrived in Yanfeng City, they stopped using their swords. The three of them walked the streets, and Gu Tongguang could figure out every road even with his eyes closed.
"There's a Qijinzhuang shop around this bend in the road. When I was little, my mother often took me there to pick out fabrics and have new clothes made," Gu Tongguang said, pointing to the bend in the road ahead.
After turning the corner, there is indeed a store called Qijinzhuang. The store is very large and sells not only fabrics but also ready-made clothes.
Gu Tongguang glanced inside several times as he passed by, saying, "When I was a child, Qijinzhuang was just a small shop. I never imagined it would become such a big one."
As he walked further in, Gu Tongguang slowed down and stopped in front of a gate, looking puzzled.
Song Yin: "What's wrong?" She looked up. "The Zhou residence?"
Gu Tongguang was dumbfounded: "This is my family's residence, why is it labeled 'Zhou Residence'? Shouldn't it be labeled 'Gu Residence'?"
At this moment, an old woman with gray hair heard Gu Tongguang's words and casually said, "Gu Mansion? This has always been the Zhou Mansion. I remember when I was a child, I heard the older generation say that there used to be a Gu Mansion here. A cultivator even came from the family. However, that cultivator never returned home, and everyone thought he was dead. As a result, the Gu family suffered a disaster and the whole family was wiped out, including the babies born later."
"The reason this story has been passed down is because the Gu family produced many cultivators in the past, so the older generation remembered it and it was passed down orally."
Gu Tongguang's body suddenly swayed.
Song Yin and Shi Heming were also greatly shocked. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with astonishment.
"What do you mean by 'suffered a disaster'? What do you mean by 'the whole family was wiped out'? When did this happen? Tell me! Tell me now!!"
The old woman covered her ears: "Oh dear, young man, why is your voice so loud? You're going to deafen this old woman. These are all stories passed down from the older generation; how would I know exactly when they happened?"
"Honestly, I shouldn't have said that."
Shi Heming stepped forward and pulled Gu Tongguang back, saying, "Calm down first. Only when you calm down can you figure out what happened."
Song Yin went to help the old woman up. "Grandma, please don't be angry. My friend was too impulsive. But could you tell me more about the massacre of the Gu family?"
The old woman looked Song Yin over for a moment, then said in a very affectionate tone, "You are such a beautiful young lady. The red mole between your eyebrows makes you look like an immortal, and your voice is so sweet. Since you want to hear it, I'll tell you more about this story. There are a few more words about it that have been passed down."
"Moonlight shines on the valley, where immortals emerge, and immortals dwell in the abode of immortals. The wind blows open the door, the door is unbolted, swords and blades enter the house, and blood soaks the bricks. Bricks, bricks what was it again? I forgot the rest. This happened when I was a child, so I can't remember."
Song Yin: "Thank you."
The old woman smiled and said, "No need to thank me, no need to thank me." Then she slowly continued walking forward.
Song Yin turned around and saw that Gu Tongguang was already in tears.
Song Yin: "...Perhaps we've come to the wrong place? Or perhaps the Gu family has moved away? We can't just judge the situation based on what an old woman says. Why don't we ask the current owner of this house?"
Gu Tongguang wiped away his tears, grasping at a sliver of hope, "Okay."
The servants in front of the Zhou residence had been watching the commotion for a long time. They didn't drive them away because the three of them didn't look like ordinary people. Especially in Yanfeng City, only cultivators could be so warm and covered from head to toe.
Song Yin: "We wish to see the master of the Zhou residence. Could you please inform him?"
"Okay, please wait a moment." These servants are never short of keen observation skills.
Before long, the three were ushered inside.
The person who met them was an old man who had retired from his official post; the servants called him "Old Master."
When Old Master Zhou heard from his servants that three people outside the door, possibly cultivators, wanted to see him, he invited them in to avoid offending them. Whether they were frauds or not was obvious at a glance.
Old Master Zhou: "I wonder what business you gentlemen have with the Master of the Zhou family? My son is on duty, so you may ask me if you have any questions."
The servants quickly served tea to the three of them and placed it beside them.
Gu Tongguang steadied himself and asked, "I would like to ask if the previous owner of this house was surnamed Gu?"
Old Master Zhou stroked his white beard, his hands and face covered with age spots. "This house has always been the residence of the Zhou family, passed down through several generations. It has been able to maintain its current appearance thanks to the Zhou family's continuous repairs. If we really trace back to the previous owner, his surname was indeed Gu."
Gu Tongguang gripped the armrests of the chair tightly. "How did you acquire this house? Where are the Gu family members?"
Old Master Zhou also showed his good temper: "Oh, look at what you're saying. Of course, the house was bought by my Zhou family ancestors. I haven't even asked you three young people what your names are yet?"
Gu Tongguang tried hard not to let his emotions show: "My surname is Gu, the same as the previous owner of the house."
Old Master Zhou paused, "Lu Er, go and get the small box on the top shelf of my study."
"Yes, sir."
Grandpa Zhou spoke with a hint of respect, “I heard from the elders in my family that the previous owner of this house was wiped out overnight, and the only surviving descendants chose to sell the house at a low price. My ancestors thought that many cultivators had come from this house, so they wanted to get some connection with the immortals and bought the house.”
Lu Er was very fast; he jogged over and presented the box to Old Master Zhou.
Grandpa Zhou opened the box. "It is said that the previous owner's belongings were all taken away. After the Zhou family ancestors moved in, they had to find someone to perform rituals, renovate the house, and make furniture. They were busy for a long time before the house had a new look."
"The contents of this box were unearthed from underground during the renovation of the house. Since your surname is Gu, it means we have a connection. You can take a look."
With just a glance from Grandpa Zhou, Lu Er understood and presented the opened box to Gu Tongguang.
Lu Er thought to himself: The old master is being so polite, could it be that he really thinks of the three of them as cultivators? Although their clothes and appearance do not seem to be those of ordinary people, they have not shown any methods of cultivators.
“I buried this with my two younger sisters…” Gu Tongguang said, trembling.
Lu Er staggered. This thing is two hundred years old. You're saying you buried it... Wait!
Lu Er suddenly looked at Gu Tongguang.
Could he be a cultivator who has lived for hundreds of years?!
Not only was Lu Er frightened, but Old Master Zhou was too, thinking to himself that it was a good thing they hadn't turned the person away.
Song Yin asked, "Are you sure?"
Gu Tongguang: "Confirmed..."
He returned home after giving it his all, only to find the Gu family wiped out, and his former home had become someone else's. The more Gu Tongguang cherished his family, the more pain he felt upon learning the truth.
The Gu family was wiped out, not even the infants were spared... The only surviving descendants chose to sell the house at a low price... Song Yin suddenly said, "Grandpa, you just said that the house was sold by the only surviving descendants of the Gu family. Did your Zhou family ancestors say where the Gu family descendants went?"
Song Yin's words gave Gu Tongguang a glimmer of new hope, and he pressed on, "Yes, do you know where the descendants of the Gu family have gone?"
Grandpa Zhou recalled: "It seems that I went to a place called Xunxian Town in Lingcheng. Two hundred years have passed and I don't know the specifics."
Gu Tongguang stood up and said to Song Yin and the others, "I have to go to Xunxian Town. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you any longer."
Song Yin: "It's okay, we can go to Xunxian Town with you, maybe we can help."
Gu Tongguang moved his lips, and finally uttered two words in a trembling voice, "Thank you."
Old Master Zhou tentatively asked, "If I may ask, are you a member of the Gu family?"
"Yes." Gu Tongguang took out a pill that ordinary people could use. "I'll take the items in the box with me. Consider the pills as compensation for preserving this item for two hundred years."
The three of them transformed into streaks of light and flew away in front of Old Master Zhou.
Old Master Zhou's teacup slipped from his hand. "Moonlight shines on Valley, and immortals are born in the valley. The missing immortal from the Gu family has returned, and he's still so young. Lu Er, go and give the gatekeepers an extra three months' wages." Luckily, the gatekeepers had sharp eyes and recognized that the three might be cultivators.
The three remained silent the entire way.
By the time they found Xunxian Town, it was already getting dark. The blood-red setting sun enveloped Xunxian Town, shining down on the Nascent Soul cultivator who had lost his entire family.
Even if one's cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage, making them a top cultivator in the Nine Spirits Realm, they are powerless to change the situation when faced with matters concerning their family.
"Let's first find out about the Gu family in town, and then find out which family moved here two hundred years ago." Song Yin patted Gu Tongguang on the shoulder.
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Author's note: This time, Shi Tongxue chose to follow Yinyin directly and continue to be a little tail following in Yinyin's footsteps.
Yin's trip to the small world was not in vain; various gains, such as advancement in cultivation, awaited her.
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Dear readers, please don't fatten up my little author! It'll kill her! [pity]
[Empty bowl]
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