Chapter 157 The Realm of Trials (Part 8)
The bottom of the pool was pitch black, but a small flame, about the size of a palm, was burning slowly. Wisps of flame extended outwards from it, like an ever-blooming firework.
Beneath this cluster of flames, a black primordial spirit was suppressed. This primordial spirit was not small, and its shape was extremely irregular, as if it had been torn off by something. Jiang Gu could almost imagine the tragic scene at that time.
Wei Feng released his hand, staring at the piece of his own primordial spirit with a gloomy expression. "This piece is the primordial spirit in my heart. I have been searching for it for a long time, and only recently discovered it, but I have tried many times without being able to get it."
Jiang Gu turned to look at him, "What about the other primordial spirits?"
“Other primordial spirits—” Wei Feng paused, then sneered, “You’re trying to trick me into talking?”
"It's obvious without even trying that your primordial spirit must have been shattered long ago." Jiang Gu felt a surge of indescribable emotion. He said coldly, "The primordial spirit you have now was forcibly sewn together with these black threads. It hasn't been fully smelted yet. Yanyu Terrace always makes the most of everything. What do they want to do with you? Are they testing who is a Jade Rank cultivator?"
Caught off guard by his words, Wei Feng cautiously took a half-step back, only to be pressed close by Jiang Gu. The usually cold and arrogant man's eyes held a hint of suppressed anger, and his voice was like ice, "How many people does Yanyu Terrace suspect are Jade Rank? How much time did they give you?"
"How many pieces have you...cut yourself into?" Jiang Gu's eyebrows were lowered, his attitude unusually forceful.
He was too close, and Wei Feng subconsciously held his breath. Even though Jiang Gu had guessed everything, he still gritted his teeth and said in a fierce but weak voice, "I don't understand what you're saying. Either help me retrieve my primordial spirit, or you'll die at the bottom of this training pool."
Jiang Gu gave him a deep look. "Or do you intend to confirm the 'Jade Rank' status of every cultivator by means of spiritual communication?"
"I didn't!" Wei Feng exclaimed, as if someone had stepped on his tail, instantly flaring up with anger. "I only—"
As he was rushing to explain, he met Jiang Gu's knowing look and belatedly realized that he had fallen into the other party's trap. He instantly became furious and embarrassed, "Mind your own business!"
Jiang Gu was stunned for a moment.
Wei Feng opened his mouth, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say, and turned his gaze away with a serious expression.
Jiang Gu had vaguely heard the elders who were good at raising disciples complain that their originally well-behaved and sensible little disciples suddenly became irritable and rebellious when they reached a certain age. They were very resentful or even disgusted by their attempts to control them and would do the opposite of what they wanted no matter what. Unfortunately, he only overheard it and was not sure what age they were or how to deal with it.
Besides, it's perfectly normal for him and Wei Feng to have some distance between them after being separated for many years. Wei Feng's overly intimate and natural behavior outside Jiexiang was the abnormal thing.
Although Jiang Gu understood the reasoning, he still felt frustrated—even if he wanted to seal the memories, it would only be effective after Wei Feng and the others had finished refining their primordial spirits.
For the first time in his life, Jiang Gu regretted his impulsive actions after his misjudgment, which left him with the trouble of communicating with his disciple to cure the poison.
"Get a fire." He said curtly, "Stay away."
Wei Feng took a deep breath, stepped back a few paces, and formed a hand seal. The spreading mist completely enveloped the bottom of the pool. "My formation can only last for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. During this time, you can temporarily use your spiritual power. The Sorrowful Flame does not recognize a master. You just need to find a way to trap it in your sea of consciousness and refine it."
Jiang Gu nodded, and the weapon-refining array slowly spread out above the cluster of flames.
"Fire overcomes metal, so don't let it get near your dantian." Wei Feng deliberately softened his voice. He didn't need to remind people of this common sense; he was just trying to make conversation to break the awkward silence.
Jiang Gu glanced at him indifferently.
Wei Feng cleared his throat and shut his mouth.
The Sorrowful Fire, being a divine artifact, cannot recognize a master, and its taming is not too difficult. That's why the people of Yin Yang Tower added such a complex and powerful array around it. However, Wei Feng's existence solved these difficulties, and Jiang Gu had the Black Jade Bracelet, a semi-space magic artifact, which made it much easier to gather the Sorrowful Fire into the Linked Artifacts Array.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Sorrowful Fire had already been taken into Jiang Gu's sea of consciousness. As a divine artifact, it was rather weak-willed. It was so frightened by Jiang Gu's domineering magical power that it cowered in a corner of the sea of consciousness. Not to mention getting close to the dantian, it seemed that it didn't even want to touch Jiang Gu's spiritual power.
Jiang Gu didn't pay much attention to it, his gaze falling on the piece of primordial spirit belonging to Wei Feng. This irregular piece of primordial spirit had taken root in the silt at the bottom of the pool, nourishing the Sorrowful Fire above and almost merging with the bottom of the pool below. At first, Jiang Gu wasn't confident he could pick it up, so he poured most of his spiritual power into his fingertips. But before he could even touch it, the piece of primordial spirit happily wrapped around his fingers, coiled around his wrist, and forcibly pulled itself out of the thick silt.
Standing not far away, Wei Feng gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain.
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is up. Wei Feng's mist has lost its effect, and the complex magic arrays have lit up again. Wei Feng rushed over and suddenly transformed into mist, enveloping Jiang Gu within it. "Run!"
As the two left the bottom of the pool, the magic arrays guarding the Sorrowful Fire and the Primordial Spirit could no longer detect their presence and began to flicker violently.
At the same time, many cultivators who were practicing in the training pool also noticed the abnormality. The elder in charge of the training pool changed his expression and shouted sternly, "Something has changed with the Sorrowful Fire. Go and investigate immediately!"
In the Healing Pool, the two cultivators opened their eyes simultaneously.
"The spiritual power of the Sorrowful Fire has disappeared." The speaker was a handsome and refined young man. He released his divine sense for a moment and then withdrew it. "Elder Lian Gongchi has already sent people to chase after it."
“Chongshi, you have a fire elemental root, and the artifact, the Sorrowful Fire, is a perfect match for you,” said the cultivator soaking in the pool opposite him.
Song Chongshi slowly shook his head, "The Sorrowful Fire cannot recognize a master and can only be refined, which greatly reduces its effectiveness and only wastes time."
The cultivator opposite sneered, "No wonder he's ranked number one in the trial; he doesn't even look down on Bei Wenhuo."
Song Chongshi wasn't annoyed. "I'd like to ask you, how did you end up in forty-seventh place? Hiding your abilities right from the start isn't like you."
"I fell into the trap set by the Pingze cultivators at the ruins of the Ancient Temple of the Underworld, and the divine artifact I was about to obtain slipped away. Naturally, my first-level cultivation level won't be very high," Yan Huairan said arrogantly.
"How could you tolerate this?" Song Chongshi asked, somewhat puzzled.
Yan Huairan smiled and said, "It's no fun to just catch and kill him. This is the first time someone has dared to snatch something from me. No rush. There are still four realms left. I want to wear him down little by little. It would be best if he could live to the fifth realm before I eliminate him. That way, I can personally send him to the Tower of Life and Death and make him wish he were dead."
Song Chongshi frowned slightly. "Why waste time on such a nobody?"
“Winning all the time is boring. Once you enter the Eighth Pavilion, you'll be bound by all those rules and regulations. It's good to have some fun during the trial.” Yan Huairan narrowed his eyes. “I heard there are a few pretty good-looking cultivators among the Pingze cultivators.”
Song Chongshi raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to care about Qiyi anymore?"
"Just a demon, nothing to play with." Yan Huairan didn't care at all. "I heard that Xiao Qingyan's destined person has also entered the trial, and she is extremely beautiful."
“You wouldn’t—” Song Chongshi had a vague sense of unease.
Yan Huairan soaked in the pool and sighed comfortably, squinting his eyes as he said, "Does that good-for-nothing Xiao Qingyan deserve any destined person? There are no rules to restrict him in the second realm, so that beauty is just a piece of cake."
"You'd better not provoke him." Song Chongshi looked at the chaotic training pool outside, a hint of interest finally appearing in his eyes. "Which extraordinary person stole the Sorrowful Flame? Such a big fuss."
——
Whoosh!
The water surface was broken open, and Jiang Gu flipped over and nimbly climbed ashore. He then turned around and pulled the nearly exhausted Wei Feng out of the pool.
“The people in the training pool will definitely investigate the Sorrowful Fire and my primordial spirit.” Wei Feng said with extreme calmness, “The space of the Ink Jade Bracelet can shield all divine sense probing, so you can put them inside for now.”
Since he shares the same origin as the primordial spirit, he naturally needs to enter as well.
Jiang Gu, however, showed no intention of letting him in.
Wei Feng stared straight at him. "What, you want to discard me after I've served my purpose?"
"You really enjoy being a donkey?" Jiang Gu asked expressionlessly.
"..." Wei Feng stared blankly for a long time before suddenly realizing what was happening. He asked with a complicated expression, "Are you kidding me?"
“No.” Jiang Gu changed the subject stiffly. “The black jade bracelet is a divine artifact. They will definitely think of searching for it. Hiding inside is not a foolproof method.”
"Then let's fight our way out." Wei Feng's expression hardened.
Jiang Gu was silent for a moment, "Is this how you ruined your primordial spirit?"
These words were undeniably harsh, striking straight to Wei Feng's heart. The fierce glint in his eyes hadn't faded. "Then tell me, what should we do?"
Fifteen minutes later.
Wei Feng's primordial spirit was enveloped within Jiang Gu's primordial spirit, separated only by a layer of faint spiritual power, while Bei Wenhuo was completely enveloped by his black primordial spirit.
Jiang Gu's calm breathing traveled through Wei Feng's limbs and bones via his primordial spirit. Wei Feng tried his best to control his mind, not wanting to be disturbed by the aura of Jiang Gu's primordial spirit. The training pool was filled with elders and disciples from Yin Yang Tower who had come to handle the matter. Even the tower master, Wen Ziheng, was alarmed and came in person. If he had brought Jiang Gu with him, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed.
The disciples undergoing trials in the training pool were not all from the same group; they crowded together and entered the formation one by one for inspection.
"Seventh Brother?" Jiang Xiangyun spotted Jiang Gu in the crowd at a glance, and immediately squeezed to his side with Yao Li. With a look of amusement on his face, he whispered, "I heard that the divine artifact, the Sorrowful Fire, in this training pool was stolen. I wonder who dared to do it. We're in for a good show."
Jiang Gu nodded calmly, "Indeed, incredibly audacious."
Yao Li, however, looked at Jiang Gu with a gloomy expression and a hint of suspicion. Although he had no evidence, he had a gut feeling that Jiang Gu was definitely not a law-abiding person.
"Don't worry, Uncle, it definitely won't be Seventh Brother." Jiang Xiangyun said confidently, arms crossed. "If Seventh Brother had that ability, he wouldn't be ranked ninth from the bottom."
Yao Li's suspicious gaze immediately turned into disdain.
"..." Jiang Gu glanced at Jiang Xiangyun indifferently.
Jiang Xiangyun gave him a reassuring look. After all, they had obtained the divine artifact, the Netherworld Bone, from the Spirit Tempering Realm. It was always better to keep a low profile. As long as Jiang Gu could refine the Netherworld Bone, it wouldn't be a problem for him to climb up to the thirties. He had no idea that Jiang Gu's ranking was the result of having already refined the Netherworld Bone.
Although their conversation was protected by a soundproof barrier, those with higher cultivation levels could still overhear. The gazes that fell on Jiang Gu included surprise, disdain, and inevitably, covetousness.
In the distance, Song Chongshi followed Yan Huairan's gaze and landed on Jiang Gu. "A cultivator from Pingze?"
"I've finally found it."
"Hmm?" Song Chongshi asked, puzzled.
"That guy who stole the Yin Bone, but he's ranked so low, what a disappointment." Yan Huairan was disappointed but also had a hint of amusement. "But he is indeed good-looking. He would be a good choice as a furnace cauldron in this ranking elimination."
Song Chongshi had always disliked his style, so he frowned but remained silent.
Within Jiang Gu's primordial spirit, Wei Feng keenly sensed a sticky gaze and tried to manipulate Jiang Gu's body to turn his head, but Jiang Gu held him down and prevented him from moving.
A calm and composed voice came from within his primordial spirit, "Behave yourself."
"Someone's eyes are practically glued to you, don't you find that disgusting?" Wei Feng said sarcastically, annoyed. "How can you put up with that?"
"Otherwise what?" Jiang Gu looked at Jiang Xiangyun and Yao Li, who were being searched in the magic array in front of him, and said calmly, "Acting impulsively when you are weak is tantamount to courting death and will expose your fatal weaknesses to the enemy. You could have stayed out during the tribulation and would not be in this situation where you are controlled by me, losing the initiative and having your motives guessed. It's time for you to change your irritable and impulsive nature."
Wei Feng suppressed his anger at being lectured and said coldly, "I don't understand what you're saying."
Soon it was Jiang Gu's turn to be searched by the body-searching array. He calmly walked in, and all his magical artifacts, including the Spirit Realm and the Black Jade Bracelet, were searched inside and out. Even his sea of consciousness was not spared. He even had the mind to communicate with Wei Feng using his primordial spirit, "Fool."
Two simple words, yet incredibly powerful.
Enraged, Wei Feng forcibly tore away the layer of spiritual energy beside him, grabbed Jiang Gu's primordial spirit and squeezed it hard. The dark primordial spirit instantly merged into the brilliant golden primordial spirit.
Caught off guard, Jiang Gu almost groaned out from the intense pleasure. He then roughly repaired the torn spiritual energy shield and kicked Wei Feng's primordial spirit back, which was trying to continue its rampage.
"What kind of aura is that?!" The elder who was investigating suddenly turned stern.
Upon hearing this, everyone else looked over, and even Wen Ziheng's divine sense enveloped him, seemingly ready to strangle him at any moment.
Jiang Gu, without changing his expression, took out a small, elaborately decorated primordial spirit from his sleeve, "a little spirit pet I acquired from the Spirit Tempering Realm."
The elder was speechless for a moment.
What kind of thing is this? It hasn't even developed any consciousness, and it doesn't have a trace of spiritual power.
Someone nearby said, "I bet he built a little snowman in the Spirit Tempering Realm and brought it out with him."
"puff."
Amidst laughter, Jiang Gu calmly held the small primordial spirit, sensing the powerful divine senses around him withdrawing, and looked at the elder.
The elder waved his hand impatiently, "Go away, go away, no wonder your ranking is so terrible."
Jiang Gu placed the still-dazed little primordial spirit on his shoulder and, under the watchful eyes of Wen Ziheng and his group of highly skilled experts, walked openly out of the training pool.
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