Chapter 257 A Series of Obstacles (Part 11)
Jiang Gu picked up Wei Feng and placed him on the bed. He hadn't noticed before, as Wei Feng was just a little taller than him, but now that he was in his arms, it became obvious. The boy had broad shoulders and long legs, and he felt a little cramped in Jiang Gu's arms.
He had just put the person down when the door behind him opened and closed again, and Jiang Xiangyun's voice came from outside: "After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Jiang Gu glanced down at Wei Feng. He had been in a hurry when checking Wei Feng's injuries, and Wei Feng's clothes had been roughly torn. Wei Feng's eyes were closed and the corners of his eyes were red. He was also fair-skinned, so the bruises and wounds on his body were particularly noticeable. But he was too badly injured, and changing clothes would always touch the wounds, so Jiang Gu simply pulled the blanket over him.
But when Jiang Xiangyun and Feng Wuyou came in and saw this, their expressions became even more strange.
"Seventh Brother, you should still exercise some restraint," Jiang Xiangyun said teasingly.
"He's injured," Jiang Guyan said succinctly.
Jiang Xiangyun waved his hand: "There's no need to go into such detail."
Jiang Gu then realized that his words were ambiguous: "...He was injured in the secret realm, his meridians were broken, and his primordial spirit was almost cut in half."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiangyun's expression turned serious: "Wei Feng's cultivation level cannot be judged by ordinary standards. When he entered just now, the pressure around him was no less than that of the Dao Ancestor Realm. He has a special physique and a vine umbrella to avoid the tribulation lightning, so he shouldn't be so badly injured."
"That makes it even stranger." Jiang Gu looked at Feng Wuyou and Chanlin. "Have you two noticed anything?"
“He almost wiped out the Vine Demon Realm,” Chanlin said. “But when he transformed into his original form, he dealt with it with ease.”
“He still had the energy to refine quite a few divine artifacts.” Feng Wuyou stroked his chin, then suddenly frowned. “However, there’s something very strange.”
All eyes fell on him.
“When ordinary cultivators refine divine artifacts, they absorb some of the divine power within, but Wei Feng didn’t leave any divine power behind. Instead, he gave it all to me and Chan Lin. Moreover, he kept absorbing the turbid energy in the secret realm.” Feng Wuyou recalled carefully, “Wei Feng’s original form is peculiar. Although I have never seen it, judging from his cultivation method, he should be able to absorb both spiritual energy and turbid energy. However, all things in the world are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. Spiritual energy and turbid energy are inherently incompatible. Spiritual energy is pure and light, which is more in line with the meridian circulation of cultivators… His absorption of only turbid energy is like resisting the spiritual power absorbed by the vine umbrella.”
"Back in Pingze, he mainly relied on spiritual energy, and although there was some turbid energy, it wasn't much. During Wangyue, the turbid energy increased, but it was still not as important as spiritual energy. However, since I found him in Chenyao, the two have become equal." Jiang Gu looked at Feng Wuyou, "Does Fellow Daoist mean that his injuries are so severe because he absorbed too much turbid energy?"
Feng Wuyou nodded: "Something's not right."
“Speaking of turbid energy, I suddenly remembered something,” Jiang Xiangyun said. “Before I came to Chenyao Continent, several disciples in my clan with decent talent suddenly went into qi deviation without warning. Other sects also had similar situations. The cause has not yet been found out, but the spiritual energy in Pingze and Wangyue has indeed been gradually decreasing in recent decades.”
“It’s normal for spiritual energy to decrease over time. The spiritual energy in the cultivation world has always been unstable. I remember ten thousand years ago, the spiritual energy was so thin that cultivators could hardly cultivate. However, it only took a few years for the spiritual energy to recover. There are always fluctuations every few thousand years. Two thousand years ago, the spiritual energy was so scarce that I didn’t even want to leave my cave. But it didn’t last long either,” Feng Wuyou said. “Fellow Daoist Jiang, you don’t need to worry too much.”
"That's good then." Jiang Xiangyun nodded.
Jiang Gu seemed lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Wei Feng.
"Seventh brother... Seventh brother?" Jiang Xiangyun tapped on the table.
"Hmm?" Jiang Gu looked at him, snapping out of his daze.
"Where should we go next?" Jiang Xiangyun asked.
Although he didn't know how Jiang Gu could revive Lu Liyu, it didn't stop him from trusting Jiang Gu. Moreover, the opportunities on Chenyao Continent were far greater than those in Pingze and Wangyue. Even if it wasn't for Lu Liyu and the Jiang family, he was willing to take the plunge—no cultivator could resist the temptation of ascension.
"Anliu City".
——
Wei Feng woke up three days later.
As night deepened, the flying boat slowly glided through the intricate teleportation array. The vortexes of spiritual energy were colorful, and the spiritual energy condensed into twinkling points of light, vaguely resembling a starry night sky.
Wei Feng leaned against the window for a moment and caught Jiang Gu's scent.
"Awake?" Jiang Gu sat down beside him.
"Hmm." Wei Feng turned around and hugged his waist, taking a deep breath as he spoke, his voice hoarse and deep: "Master, I had a dream."
"What did you dream about?" Jiang Gu straightened his shoulders and added several more talismans to the wound on his waist.
“I dreamt that you abandoned me after you ascended to heaven.” Wei Feng looked at him forlornly. “You called me a piece of trash, complained that I was dirty and ugly, that I harmed the spirit beasts you raised, and even called me lustful and a lowly follower of the Six Desires.”
Jiang Gu fell into an eerie silence for a moment.
Although he didn't want to admit it, he had indeed cursed Wei Feng for every single thing he said, and he had indeed planned to abandon him and ascend to immortality on his own, so there was simply no way to refute it.
When Wei Feng saw that he didn't speak, his eyes instantly turned red.
Jiang Gu coldly said, "What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. If you are so worried, you should work harder to cultivate and find a way to ascend, instead of feeling sorry for yourself and blaming others."
Wei Feng's eyes reddened even more, and he hugged him, burying his face in his arms: "But I'm just scared, Master, you said you wouldn't abandon me, please."
They are completely impervious to reason and have no backbone whatsoever.
"...I won't abandon you." Jiang Gu didn't understand the point of saying that at all; it was clear that Wei Feng wouldn't feel at ease even if he said it.
Sure enough, the bastard was still uneasy and stuck to him, impossible to tear off. When Jiang asked him why he was injured, he just opened his bright eyes and shook his head blankly. He slumped his head on Jiang Gu's shoulder in dejection and helplessness, complaining in a hoarse voice that his wound hurt and asking Jiang Gu to add many healing spells to him.
She's even more spoiled than when she was a teenager.
Seeing that he was really uncomfortable, Jiang Gu simply drew a sleeping talisman and made him fall asleep again. Then he entered his sea of consciousness, dug out the dark primordial spirit curled up in a corner, brought it back to his own sea of consciousness, and carefully nurtured it with spiritual power.
When they arrived in Anliu City, Wei Feng was still asleep.
Jiang Xiangyun looked curiously at the three- or four-year-old child that Jiang Gu was holding, who was nestled softly in Jiang Gu's arms like a little ball of cotton. She couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you put him in the spirit pet pouch?"
“He’s afraid of the dark,” Jiang Gu said without changing his expression.
“It’ll also work in the jade bracelet.” Jiang Xiangyun raised an eyebrow.
"Too much divine power in the artifact will worsen his injuries." Jiang Gu carried the person forward.
“If all else fails, I have plenty of spatial magic treasures here—” Jiang Xiangyun caught up, smiling as he stretched out his hand, “Then let me hug him too, he’s my nephew after all.”
His response was a cold look.
Undeterred, Jiang Xiangyun asked Feng Wuyou beside him, "Fellow Daoist Feng, do you know what kind of magic he used? I have never seen a method that can maintain a child's body indefinitely."
“Ordinary cultivators can only temporarily change their form, but the vine demon clan has evolved two forms, a child and an adult, for self-preservation over a long period of time. This is their racial ability. Wei Feng refined the divine artifact vine umbrella, so he can maintain his child form for a long time. This is actually beneficial to his recovery and slows down the absorption of turbid energy,” Feng Wuyou explained. “Others probably cannot do this.”
Jiang Xiangyun sighed in disappointment.
Chan Lin's eyes darted around, and he said, "However, if Fellow Daoist Jiang wants to become a child, he can maintain it with spiritual power. I'll help you maintain it for a month, and I'll only charge ten million top-grade spirit stones. How about that?"
Jiang Xiangyun nodded and pointed at Jiang Gu, saying, "You help me turn my seventh brother into a child. I've never seen what he looked like when he was little, let alone held him. This way, I can put an end to a regret."
Chan Lin remained silent, stepped back, and helped Feng Wuyou up: "I suddenly feel unwell. Fellow Daoist Jiang, please find someone else."
Jiang Xiangyun asked earnestly, "Twenty million spirit stones?"
The frightened Chanlin immediately reverted to its original form and burrowed into Feng Wuyou's sleeve. Feng Wuyou gloated, "Let's see if you dare to make any kind of money."
Anliu City is a city built by Xiao Dan and his human cultivators. Anliu City was originally a city of the Rakshasa clan. After more than 20 years of development, the originally gloomy and terrifying city has now become a replica of Yanyu Terrace on Wangyue Continent, but on a much smaller scale.
Entering the city required identity verification. Jiang Gu and his group all wore jade tokens from the Half-Immortal Clan. The human race had been getting closer to the Half-Immortal Clan recently, so their entry into the city was relatively smooth, and they quickly found an inn to rest at.
They were received by disciples of the human race. Anyone randomly picked from the main hall was at least at the Great Luo Realm, and it wouldn't be surprising to find Dao Ancestor Realm cultivators along the way. Jiang Xiangyun transmitted his voice and said, "Seventh Brother, it seems that your initial guess was correct. Xiao Dan was willing to abandon the entire Wangyue Continent to come to Chenyao. I'm afraid he has far-reaching plans."
“The temples of Pingze and Wangyue at most contain only divine artifacts and remnants of spirits, but the temple of Chenyao has divine pronouncements,” Jiang Gu said. “Moreover, according to Feng Wuyou, a small part of the Half-Immortal Clan can communicate directly with the Upper Realm.”
Jiang Xiangyun gasped.
Jiang Gu looked at him.
“If it were me, I would also choose Shen Yao.” Jiang Xiangyun met his gaze and said slowly, “If this is true, then I understand why Xiao Dan insisted on using jade steps to build that road to heaven.”
Jiang Gu nodded: "The cultivation world we live in is very likely connected to the so-called upper realm."
Regardless of whether the connection is through an array or some other bridge, it means that if they truly want to reach the upper realm, ascension isn't the only path. It's just that people's thinking is deeply ingrained, and when the path to ascension is blocked, naturally some will notice the clues. As for why no one has succeeded—
"The existence of the Half-Immortal Clan is the best warning." Jiang Xiangyun's Dao Heart began to tremble. These things had completely exceeded his original understanding, yet they inevitably made him feel excited and stimulated. "No wonder, no wonder you insisted that I come to Chenyao."
Jiang Gu pressed down on his shoulder to help him calm down. Jiang Xiangyun took a deep breath and said, "Your Dao heart is so firm."
"When I first arrived in Shenyao and guessed about this, my Dao heart almost wavered," Jiang Gu said calmly.
After all, his greatest desire was to ascend to the upper realm, but upon closer reflection, no matter what method he used, it was all the same and made no difference to him. In fact, after learning that Wei Feng might not be able to ascend, this turned out to be a good thing.
Little Wei Feng, nestled in his arms, stirred, still clutching a strand of his hair, his cheeks flushed from sleep.
"You want to start with Xiao Dan?" Jiang Xiangyun asked.
“He knows far more than we do,” Jiang Gu said.
Jiang Xiangyun frowned: "But we have long been mortal enemies with him, so he may not tell us the truth."
"What do you think of Anliucheng, brother?" Jiang Gu asked, looking at the bustling crowd on the street.
Jiang Xiangyun understood his meaning, and a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes, his ambition undisguised: "Naturally, it's excellent, a thousand times better than Wangyue and Pingze, but... we don't know where to start."
Jiang Gu pinched Wei Feng's chubby cheeks and lowered his eyes, saying, "Someone has already secretly helped us make connections."
The dark, primordial spirit, huddled in his sea of consciousness, trembled unconsciously in its sleep.
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