Chapter 216 A Dream Fulfilled:
Although the sun was blazing outside, the woods were very dark. Rong Xie didn't remember that the grove behind the training ground was so dense, with so many towering trees and leaves as thick as a car cover. Walking through it was like moving in the middle of the night. The only light source was the white orchid, and the area it could illuminate was very limited.
Gradually, Rong Xie realized that it wasn't that the forest was dense, but rather that a layer of black mist was enveloping the surroundings, silently swallowing the edges of the forest. The visible area was getting smaller and smaller, and Shen Bing Si's figure in front of him disappeared into the black mist several times.
In a moment of panic, Rong Xie threw out three explosive talismans. After a series of explosions, a wide road opened up in front of Rong Xie, and he flew straight towards Shen Bing Si.
However, in the next moment, the black mist suddenly rose up, as if deliberately opposing Rong Xie, and swallowed Shen Bing Si's figure.
Rong Xie disregarded everything, cast a breath-holding spell for swimming, and rushed into the black mist.
Everything went black.
At first, nothing could be seen, but gradually, light began to shine through, and the outlines of things emerged from the black mist.
This place is like a warehouse, with only one small window and two beds placed under it.
Rong Xie was very familiar with this place. It was the place where Elder Yunfeng lent him and Shen Bingsi to practice. At that time, in order to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he had to find a place to practice all night. It was very cold outside, so Shen Bingsi asked Elder Yunfeng for this place.
During that time, Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi spent their days and nights together, practicing martial arts, discussing mental techniques, and dreaming about the future... They spent a tense yet fulfilling period, filled with hope.
However, Rong Xie ultimately failed the Foundation Establishment assessment. Due to his limited aptitude, his spiritual root did not allow him to reap the rewards of hard work like others.
Even though he already knew the final outcome, seeing this familiar little house again filled Rong Xie with a sense of warmth and affection. He looked around; the room was empty and simple, yet it was filled with memories of him and Shen Bingsi…
Wait, what's that?
A pair of overlapping figures appeared beside the bed against the wall, sweet sobs and gentle words of comfort mingling together. Without even looking, it was clear what they were doing.
Rong Xie covered his face. Really, did every memory have to include this part? How did the once healthy and sunny training room of close friends turn into this? It was one thing for Shen Bingsi to be dreaming, but why did she have to taint his pure and beautiful memories?!
The annoying noise continued. Rong Xie raised his palm, trying not to look at the wall. He scanned the room with half of his vision but did not find the shadowy version of Shen Bing Si. For some reason, he should have been disappointed, but he actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching a erotic dream with the person involved is truly an experience that can make your toes go numb with embarrassment.
Just as Rong Xie was about to go out and look for them, the two people by the wall finally calmed down. A faint light from the fusion of spiritual energy emanated from the two of them, illuminating a corner of the hut.
Rong Xie looked over there in surprise, momentarily forgetting his embarrassment. If he wasn't mistaken, at this time, neither he nor Shen Bingsi would be engaged in dual cultivation. Shen Bingsi might have some understanding of it, but it was only theoretical. How could she be so proficient?
Young Shen Bingsi hugged his best friend, and the two whispered to each other for a while. They then nuzzled each other's faces affectionately. Young Rong Xie got up from him and released his watery breath. The two washed their bodies in a ditch in the corner of the room, changed into clean beginner disciple robes, and walked hand in hand towards the door.
Rong Xie followed with a suspicious look, watching the two arrive at the training ground. The head elder and a large number of junior disciples had already gathered there. Rong Xie was very familiar with this scene; it was the triennial Foundation Establishment Examination for junior disciples. Only those who passed the examination could become formal inner disciples, and those who failed repeatedly would be expelled from the inner sect—this examination had become Rong Xie's nightmare.
A sense of tension welled up inside Rong Xie, making him momentarily forget why he had come here. He stared at himself, dressed in the robes of a junior disciple, as he walked to the line for the assessment. Shen Bingsi stood outside the line with her arms crossed. The two exchanged a glance, their faces showing cloying smiles, clearly not taking their fellow disciples and elders seriously at all.
"Are they crazy?" Rong Xie nervously clenched his fingers. Not to mention that he himself would be sent back to cultivate again by Wuqing in a moment, Shen Bingsi should have already joined the Grand Elder's sect by now, yet they were openly flirting with each other like this. If the other disciples of the Grand Elder saw this, or if gossip reached the Grand Elder's ears, wouldn't Shen Bingsi's path to becoming a prodigy of Wuqing's Path be ruined before it even began?
Young Rong Xie entered the assessment venue. Three dignified elders sat at the head of the table. Two of the elders nodded to Rong Xie in a friendly manner, while the other, a body cultivator elder known for his seriousness and stern demeanor, looked at Rong Xie with a kind gaze.
Next comes the test of spiritual power. In the middle of the venue is a stone tablet for testing spiritual power. By injecting spiritual power into it, you can test which level of spiritual power you have reached. This stone tablet can give accurate results for all levels from the Golden Core stage down.
Rong Xie was defeated countless times below that blood-red Zhuji line.
He stared intently at the back of the young Rong Xie, watching the latter walk briskly to the Spirit Testing Stone Tablet and place his hand on it.
The young Rong Xie appeared so relaxed, as if he was very confident about the outcome—the Spirit Testing Stone Tablet reacted in the same way. The water spirit formed a blue pillar of light, which rushed up from the bottom, all the way past the blood-red foundation line, and then went up two more marks before stopping.
Rong Xie opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"Not bad, not bad," an elder in charge of teaching looked at the young Rong Xie with affection. Rong Xie recognized him as Elder Ling Gu, who taught talismans. After praising Rong Xie, Elder Ling Gu turned to the physical cultivation elder and introduced him, "This is the most diligent inner disciple I mentioned to you. Although his aptitude is not outstanding, he passed the Foundation Establishment assessment on his first attempt through his own efforts. Hard work pays off. I intend to take him under my wing, so don't try to take him from me."
"What...what...bizarre development is this?" Rong Xie couldn't help but mutter to himself.
He never dared to dream of such a development before, but now... it has been made up for in Shen Bingsi's dream.
Young Rong Xie politely thanked the elders in charge of the class, made an appointment with Elder Linggu to meet again after the assessment, and discussed what he needed to prepare after entering Linggu's sect. He then bid farewell and left the assessment site, full of confidence and walking briskly to the outside of the training ground to meet up with Shen Bingsi.
Rong Xie followed the young Rong Xie like a lost soul, watching him happily rush into the arms of the young Shen Bing Si who was waiting there. The two hugged and spun around as if no one else was around, then whispered to each other with their faces close together.
"You passed the test? That's amazing!"
"Of course. We've been cultivating together for so long, wouldn't we be fools if we couldn't reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"
"You said it, I didn't!"
"You—you're asking for it!" The young man Rong Xie feigned anger, raising his hand to lightly slap the young man Shen Bing Si, but the slap was so light that it was almost like caressing his face...
The unfamiliar setting and conversation, yet the familiar actions left Rong Xie, an observer, with mixed feelings.
Without a doubt, this is a distorted memory, a memory distorted according to Shen Bingsi's own wishes. In this memory, the two had already expressed their feelings for each other and started dual cultivation. There were no conflicts or misunderstandings. They lived a happy and sweet life every day, just like the most ordinary couple.
"Bing Si, you..." Rong Xie's eyes welled up with tears, "Are you having a dream like this?"
What about your Ruthless Path? You should now become a disciple of the Grand Elder, show your talent, become the youngest prodigy of the Ruthless Path, and eventually enter the Mirror Palace...
"Which elder do you plan to study under?" the young Rong Xie asked, his face still flushed from their recent intimacy. "I've already spoken with Elder Linggu. My talent is average, but my memory is good. I can draw those talismans after seeing them only once. Elder Linggu said that talisman cultivators don't need high talent, but they can grow to be very powerful, which is perfect for a cultivator like me."
“Me? Of course, it’s Sword Peak.” The young man, Shen Bingsi, said without hesitation.
"Oh? I thought you were so close to Elder Yunfeng that you would become his disciple," the young man Rong Xie said with a smile.
“He and I are just friends. How can I take a friend as my teacher?” Young Shen Bingsi clicked his tongue.
"That's good too. Sword Peak and Spirit Valley are quite close, so we can meet often in the future."
“Of course! We’ll meet every day!” said the young Shen Bingsi. “I’ve already started practicing sword control. Once I master it, it will only take me a blink of an eye to travel from Sword Peak to Spirit Valley.”
"Just bragging..."
"You don't believe me? We'll go to Thousand Ice Cliff tonight, and I'll show you!"
The two young lovers whispered amongst themselves for a while, pushing each other, immersed in their beautiful visions of the future.
In their idealistic vision, the option of a Grand Elder never existed. Naturally, this was to be expected. No matter how talented Shen Bingsi was, the Grand Elder would not choose a young cultivator who already had a dual cultivation partner to be his closed-door disciple.
"..."
A dark cloud drifted in and blocked out the sun.
The light suddenly dimmed, and gusts of cold wind blew across the training ground.
That feeling came back again, the feeling of being stared at by cold, indifferent eyes.
Rong Xie looked up and, sure enough, at the edge of the training ground, the shadowy version of Shen Bing Si was standing there, her eyes fixed on the little Daoist partner in the middle of the training ground.
This time, Rong Xie did not hesitate and charged directly at the dark version of Shen Bing Si.
The shadowy version of Shen Bingsi turned around and walked into the black mist behind her, and Rong Xie followed her in at the same moment.
"Bing Si, don't go!" Rong Xie reached out and grabbed Shen Bing Si's clothes, his fingers going right through them. The feeling was like putting your hand into a nearly frozen river in the winter, chilling you to the bone.
"Bing Si, I know those are what you want," Rong Xie said loudly, "and they are all achievable! Even if the past cannot be changed, the future will be better and happier than the past! The flower demon has been destroyed, and as long as you wake up, every day from now on will be wonderful!"
Rong Xie's voice seemed to reach Shen Bingsi's ears, and Shen Bingsi slowed her pace.
At that moment, another voice appeared, chuckling eerily:
"Really? Was I really wiped out? How come I didn't know?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com