Chapter 54 Yanghua Cloud Sea (The End)
Amidst towering peaks and rolling clouds, Jiang Gu, carrying Wei Feng, jumped off the flying sword, staggered forward a few steps, and was forced to kneel on the ground by the weight of the sword.
Wei Feng was jolted awake. He blinked hard, but all he could see was a grayish-white blur. Before he could react, warm liquid dripped onto his chin and trickled down his neck into his clothes.
The pleasant scent made him realize who it was. He shoved away the person holding him, his face filled with resentment and fear, "Zhou Huaiming!"
Jiang Gu coughed twice more, and blood seeped out from between his fingers. He looked down at the puppet's arms, which were beginning to crack, and he had a rough idea of what was going on—his primordial spirit had been strengthened after obtaining the divine artifact, and the puppet could no longer withstand this wisp of his primordial spirit.
Thinking of that divine artifact, Jiang Gu still felt a pang of heartache. He looked at the terrified and panicked Wei Feng. The boy wore a dark black jade bracelet on his wrist, which made his skin appear even whiter. Jiang Lu had tried many methods along the way but failed to remove the artifact. Strangely, Jiang Gu's primordial spirit also had a dark black jade bracelet. This bracelet greedily recognized two masters.
It is extremely rare for a divine artifact to recognize two masters. It is likely that at the time, he pretended to possess Wei Feng, but Wei Feng's primordial spirit was still in his body. The bracelet thought that the primordial spirit and the body were the same person, and recognized Wei Feng's body and his primordial spirit as its masters.
I just don't know what this magical artifact does.
He forced himself to stand up and watched as Wei Feng, who had run away, activated his spiritual power to block his way.
Wei Feng was blind and could only rely on his sense of smell. Before he could react, he couldn't stop and bumped into Jiang Gu.
He quickly hid his left hand, which was wearing the jade bracelet, behind his back, and said warily, "The artifact has already recognized its master, so don't even think about it!"
Although he inexplicably gained a great advantage, the fear of almost being possessed was deeply ingrained in his bones. Now, he gets goosebumps whenever he smells the pervert's scent. Even if the pervert saves him, it cannot make up for the evil deeds he has done.
"The artifact has recognized us as its masters," Jiang Gu said bluntly.
"What do you mean?" Wei Feng stared at him blankly.
Jiang Gu said unhappily, "Using it alone cannot unleash the full power of the artifact. I will devour your primordial spirit, or you can voluntarily give up the artifact. The choice is yours."
Wei Feng took two steps back in shock and said angrily, "I don't believe you for a word you say! If you could devour my primordial spirit, you would have done so long ago, instead of waiting until now."
Although he couldn't move when he was being falsely possessed, he could clearly sense Jiang Gu's emotions. There was disgust and disdain, as well as impatience in trying not to devour his primordial spirit, but most of the time he was indifferent and calm, like a monster with very few emotions.
Jiang Gu took a step closer to him, and Wei Feng broke out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, his master's words of advice echoed in his mind: "When you encounter a problem, use your brain first... use your brain, think of a solution quickly."
"Wait, wait!" Wei Feng stammered. Since this freak had made him give up the divine artifact, it must be because he still had a use for it. He gathered his strength in his palm and pressed it against his dantian. "If you force me any further, I'll self-destruct my primordial spirit! And you'll get nothing!"
Jiang Gu scoffed: "You don't have the guts."
But this thing has finally started to use its brain, so he really can't let Wei Feng die now.
"How do you know I wouldn't dare? I'd rather self-destruct and die with dignity than have my primordial spirit devoured by you." Wei Feng said coldly, "Besides, my master only lost a wisp of his primordial spirit. He's definitely looking for me right now. Let me tell you, I'm Jiang Gu's only disciple. See if he'll let you go if I die at your hands!"
Jiang Gu was notorious in the cultivation world for being vindictive and difficult to deal with. Wei Feng learned about this from Lu Ziming and was greatly surprised. After all, in his eyes, Jiang Gu was an immortal who was detached from worldly affairs and indifferent to fame and fortune. However, the situation was urgent, so he could only use Jiang Gu's name to intimidate people.
Jiang Gu himself was quite satisfied and said slowly, "I don't think so."
Someone once killed one of his favorite spirit pets. He hunted the perpetrator down for three years, eventually reducing it to ashes and turning its primordial spirit into a puppet, which is still buried at the bottom of the sea.
"Ha, now you're scared, huh?" Wei Feng said, his tone fierce but his voice weak. "You'd better release me right away, or you'll be in big trouble when my master comes looking for you!"
Jiang Gu smiled with amusement. "You really like your master?"
“Nonsense, my master is the best person in the world to me.” Wei Feng stared at him warily. “I’m warning you, my master’s cultivation is extremely high. Considering you saved my life, you’d better run away quickly.”
The spiritual energy within his body surged, and the cracks on his arm gradually widened. The puppet-like body was clearly about to give way. Jiang Gu stopped teasing him and grabbed Wei Feng's left hand, quickly drawing several talismans on the bracelet. Wei Feng tried to pull his hand away, but Jiang Gu was stronger than him, holding him like an iron fist and preventing him from moving.
After drawing the talisman, Jiang Gu bit his fingertip and smeared the blood onto his eyelid.
The burning sensation on his eyelids instantly brought tears to Wei Feng's eyes. He blinked uncomfortably, and his previously gray vision gradually cleared, revealing Zhou Huaiming's unremarkable face.
Blood had glued his long eyelashes together, and his fair face still had a bit of baby fat. When Wei Feng saw him covered in blood, he stared wide-eyed in astonishment, as if he had been greatly frightened. If he had any feathers or scales, they would have all exploded by now.
Jiang Gu maliciously wiped the excess blood on his face, instantly turning his originally fair face red.
Wei Feng winced and covered half of his cheek, glaring at him fiercely, "What are you doing!?"
“The artifact has recognized its master, and the Zhou family will surely be alarmed. Hide the artifact well to avoid being hunted down.” Jiang Gu grabbed his wrist and shrank the large jade bracelet a little. “The purpose of this item is currently unknown. Unless the situation is urgent, do not use it casually.”
Wei Feng looked at him with a complicated expression, "Aren't you from the Zhou family?"
"..." Jiang Gu was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I am a member of the Zhou family, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am loyal to the Zhou family."
Wei Feng knew that he was not going to devour his primordial spirit, and his heart was immediately relieved. "I understand. If the Zhou family knew that the divine artifact was in your possession, they would definitely kill people to seize the treasure and hand it over to those big shots. You, a Nascent Soul cultivator, are not even worth mentioning."
Jiang Gu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him indifferently, "You can leave now."
Wei Feng was waiting for him to retort, but he was stunned when he heard this. "You're letting me go?"
Every time he fell into the hands of this old pervert, he would be lucky if he wasn't skinned alive. But now the other party was letting him go so casually. Wei Feng was caught off guard and couldn't react for a moment.
"Why don't I just take your body?" Jiang Gu raised a hand to him.
Wei Feng was so frightened that he turned and ran away. He ran a long way before he remembered that he could fly on a sword. He summoned his flying sword, jumped up, and soared into the sky. However, he almost fell down because he rushed too fast. He grabbed the flying sword with his hands and feet and climbed up again.
Jiang Gu chuckled.
He was preparing to manipulate this wisp of primordial spirit back to its place, but just as he was about to turn it into a puppet, Wei Feng flew back on his sword and stopped at what he considered a safe distance, saying fiercely, "You pervert, although you saved my life, I will not be grateful to you!"
Jiang Gu stared at him expressionlessly.
Wei Feng tossed a small porcelain bottle at Jiang Gu's face from a distance. Jiang Gu caught it; it was a bottle of low-grade Nourishing Essence Pills, which looked like it had just been picked up. He looked at Wei Feng, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"Don't die." Wei Feng said irritably, then immediately turned and fled on his sword.
baffling.
Jiang Gu initially intended to throw away the bottle of pills, but then hesitated for a moment before tossing it into his storage bag.
The puppet finally couldn't withstand his powerful spirit and turned into dust, its spirit instantly returning to its original form.
——
On the other side of the Xiyuan Secret Realm.
Jiang Gu, who was meditating, slowly opened his eyes.
Not far away, Mo Daojin, Yu Qianning, Ye Zhihui, Liu Xian, and a dozen other disciples gathered together. They were all Yanghua Sect disciples who had been rescued by Jiang Gu halfway through their journey. However, Jiang Gu had been rushing on his way, and most of the time they were thrown into spirit pet bags, which were hardly places for humans to stay. But Jiang Gu had saved their lives, so now everyone both respected and feared Jiang Gu.
“We seem to be Elder Jiang’s pets,” Ye Zhihui whispered to Yu Qianning. “The elder only lets us out for some fresh air when he has time.”
"Shh." Yu Qianning gestured for her to be quiet, "Elder Jiang can hear us."
Ye Zhihui immediately covered her mouth with her hand and cautiously looked at Jiang Gu, who was meditating in the distance.
Sitting next to her, Liu Xiandao said, "I wonder where Senior Brother Wei has gone..."
"It should be fine," Mo Daojin said. "Elder Jiang must have his plans."
Jiang Gu glanced down at the Fire Rope on his left wrist. There was no trace of the black jade bracelet, but his left wrist in his primordial spirit was firmly gripped by a bracelet. Moreover, his primordial spirit was no longer golden, but had become gray and dull, as if covered by a faint shadow.
Besides his primordial spirit becoming much stronger, the spiritual energy in his sea of consciousness was surging violently. Originally, he was able to suppress the spiritual energy, but now that he had a divine artifact, he was about to break through.
At this moment, Ruan Keji finally arrived with his men, belatedly. "Elder Jiang, we've kept you waiting."
The two had previously exchanged letters and agreed to meet here.
Even though he already knew from the token that Jiang Gu had saved many disciples, Ruan Keji was still somewhat surprised to see the dozen or so disciples in front of him completely unharmed. In contrast, the six or seven disciples behind him were all seriously injured.
"Elder Ruan," Jiang Gu stood up, "I'll leave these disciples to you."
Ruan Keji, who was about to engage in further pretense with him, was stunned. "Elder Jiang isn't traveling with us?"
“Wei Feng is in danger, I’m going to find him,” Jiang Gu said solemnly.
Ruan Keji then noticed that Wei Feng was not among the crowd. Since Jiang Gu had already said this much, he couldn't stop him. "Elder Jiang, go and come back quickly."
Jiang Gu nodded and vanished in a flash of light.
Standing behind Ruan Keji, Mu Si made a soundproof shield and asked Ruan Keji in confusion, "Does Wei Feng, this good-for-nothing, even need to be saved?"
“He is very important to Yanghua Sect.” Ruan Keji glanced at Mo Daojin’s group of people. “But Jiang Gu actually saved so many disciples, he’s quite capable.”
Mu Si said, "Maybe he was just lucky; he even lost his own disciple."
Ruan Keji shook his head and did not reply, but said, "The appearance of a divine artifact in the Xiyuan Secret Realm will surely cause great chaos. We should hurry to the exit of the secret realm now."
"Now?" Mu Si asked.
As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of beams of light shot into the sky from all directions, and a vast spiritual energy spread out, forming a huge spiritual energy shield above the secret realm, covering the entire Xiyuan area.
“I’m afraid it’s too late,” Ruan Keji said with a grim expression. “The Zhou family has sealed off the Xiyuan Secret Realm.”
——
When Jiang Gu found Wei Feng, the guy was stumbling along, using his flying sword as a cane. His clothes were torn to shreds by tree branches, and his face and neck were covered in wounds and mud. He looked utterly disheveled.
The blood magic he smeared on Wei Feng's eyes didn't last long, and it seems he suffered quite a bit after it wore off.
Hearing breathing sounds, Wei Feng instantly became alert, raising his flying sword covered in mud and leaves. "Who!?"
Jiang Gu had used a magical artifact to isolate his aura beforehand, so no matter how sensitive Wei Feng's nose was, he couldn't smell any scent on him.
“It’s me,” Jiang Gu said coldly.
Wei Feng recognized his voice, hesitated, and put down his sword, asking uncertainly, "Master?"
"Hmm," Jiang Gu responded, taking two steps forward.
Upon hearing the noise, Wei Feng instinctively took two steps back and cautiously asked, "Is it really you, Master?"
Why didn't he smell anything?
He was wary yet couldn't resist getting close; his drooping eyes were red, making him look miserable and pitiful.
Jiang Gu took a black gauze from his sleeve, then pulled the man over and neatly tied it in front of his eyes, saying in a deep voice, "Your eyes have been poisoned by a beast. If you don't use your internal energy to force it out, you'll really go blind."
He probably hadn't taken care of anyone much before. The black veil was tied very tightly, and Wei Feng had to tug at it several times to loosen it a little. He barely managed to open his eyes and see the person in front of him through the veil. Jiang Gu's expression was cold and distant, as if he was keeping people at arm's length. But Wei Feng pouted and let out a loud wail, burying his head in his arms, "Master!"
Jiang Gu was tying the black veil on him too close when he was suddenly thrown into Jiang Gu's arms. Jiang Gu froze for a moment, then frowned in disgust and said, "Get up."
"Master, I was almost possessed! My tail and wings were broken off! My scales and feathers almost all fell off! I even fought with Lu Zhenyi for a divine artifact, and it turned out to be just a pathetic, broken bracelet! Waaaaah, Master, you scared me to death!" Wei Feng hugged him, crying and wailing as if he had suffered some great injustice. "What a lousy secret realm! I'm never coming back!!!"
Jiang Gu was covered in tiny luminous pearls from Wei Feng's crying. He raised his hand, grabbed Wei Feng's neck, and forcibly pulled him away, saying coldly, "Stop crying."
Wei Feng's eyes were covered by a black veil, revealing only his reddened nose and pale lips. He stared intently at Jiang Gu, feeling both aggrieved and angry, but dared not vent his anger on Jiang Gu. He could only ask pitifully, "Master, why did you take so long to arrive?"
"We encountered some trouble on the way," Jiang Gu said dismissively.
Wei Feng, however, was convinced of this. Something that Jiang Gu called trouble must be very troublesome. He lowered his head and sniffed. "It's okay, I'm alright. Master, don't blame yourself."
Jiang Gu, who showed absolutely no remorse: "..."
This black veil is a magical artifact that allows one to see, but it consumes a great deal of spiritual energy. Before long, Wei Feng felt his vision blur again, and his limbs became weak. He gradually couldn't keep up with Jiang Gu's pace, and he weakly called out, "Master, I feel like I'm about to die."
"Take it off first," Jiang Gu said.
The knot had been tied too tightly before, and Wei Feng had tried several times without success. A thin layer of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose. Seeing this, Jiang Gu had no choice but to help him personally, "Lower your head."
Wei Feng obediently lowered his head, his nose brushing against the wide sleeve of the robe, but he smelled a familiar, subtle fragrance, and his whole body suddenly stiffened.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Gu keenly noticed his unusual behavior.
"My neck... my neck hurts." Wei Feng stammered, but his reaction was quick. "Master, please untie it quickly."
Jiang Gu quickly untied it for him and placed the black veil in Wei Feng's hand. "Take it."
This means it was given to him.
"Thank you, Master!" Wei Feng smiled brightly, but his pale eyes made him look somewhat eerie.
Jiang Gu glanced at it and then looked away. "Go find a place to get an antidote."
"Okay." Wei Feng readily agreed, reached out and grabbed his sleeve, and said sweetly, "Master, I can't see, please hold my hand."
Jiang Gu remained noncommittal, letting him grab his sleeve as he led his men forward.
Wei Feng followed closely behind him, his palm tightly gripping the black gauze. Although the faint fragrance had just flashed by, he was certain he hadn't misheard it, but the scent had vanished again when he tried to smell it again.
Could the trouble Master mentioned on the way be referring to Zhou Huaiming? Could it be that Master has already killed him? This old pervert's unusual decision to let him go must be more than just out of fear of Jiang Gu. His injuries look severe, and he didn't even bother with something as important as the divine artifact. He might not live much longer. It wouldn't be surprising if Master killed him... But Master knew he had a grudge against Zhou Huaiming, so why didn't he tell him before killing him?
Or is it possible that Master knows Zhou Huaiming? The Jiang and Zhou families have been friends for generations, so what is their relationship? Are they in cahoots? What are they plotting? The fact that Master accepted him as a disciple is already full of suspicious points. Zhou Huaiming did it because of his identity as the Divine Kite Shark, but what was Master's motive? After he gave Master the Fire-Separating Pill, Master never mentioned it again. Was it to protect him or had he already taken it for himself?
No, no, no, Master must be doing this for his own good. Master would never associate with someone as cunning and treacherous as Zhou Huaiming!
Wei Feng shook his head, trying to shake these messy guesses out of his mind, but the familiar fragrance he had just smelled made him restless.
Maybe he smelled it wrong.
Wei Feng comforted himself in this way, his hand holding the black veil trembling slightly.
Yes, he must have smelled it wrong.
“Master, Zhou Huaiming drew several talismans on the artifact. Let’s undo them.” Wei Feng grabbed his sleeve and followed closely behind him.
Jiang Gu paused, turned around, and asked, "What talisman?"
Wei Feng felt a little relieved and shook his head, "I don't know either, Master, please take a look."
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the dark jade bracelet on his wrist, and said sincerely, "Master, please take it off. This artifact originally belonged to you, and I don't feel at ease wearing it."
“Since the artifact has recognized its master, there is no need to move it further.” Jiang Gu said calmly, “Keep it on.”
“But Master—” Wei Feng wanted to persuade him again, but Jiang Gu interrupted him.
"Treat his eyes first." Jiang Gu pulled down his sleeve, covering the jade bracelet. "There's no need to mention this matter again."
Wei Feng felt a lump in his throat. He didn't care about the Fire-Separating Pill or the broken bracelet at all; he only cared about whether his master truly cared for him.
Clearly, his master cared more about him than that broken bracelet.
Jiang Gu was unaware of all his thoughts. After finding a suitable place, he began to help Wei Feng heal his injuries. The surging spiritual energy within Wei Feng was about to become uncontrollable, so he had to hurry.
Wei Feng was stunned and forced to sit on the ground. Jiang Gu's powerful spiritual energy surged into his dantian and flowed into his meridians. A sharp pain shot through his eyes, and he instinctively grabbed Jiang Gu's sleeve. "Master, my eyes hurt so much."
Jiang Guling paused slightly, then reached out and lifted his chin. "Open your eyes."
Wei Feng opened his eyes shakily.
Jiang Gu carefully divided his spiritual energy and placed it over the grayish-white eyes, but he did not sense any unusual toxins. It was as if Wei Feng's eyes were naturally like that.
Wei Feng tilted his head back and subconsciously held his breath. Jiang Gu was now extremely close to him. Although he couldn't see, his sense of touch and hearing became exceptionally sharp. Jiang Gu's breathing was close to his ear, and his warm breath was splashing on his face, making him inexplicably nervous.
They're a bit...too close.
And that familiar, subtle fragrance reappeared, enveloping him like a ghost. Wei Feng's face, which had been burning slightly, suddenly turned deathly pale, yet he was captivated by the scent, completely disoriented. He didn't know what was wrong with him, and asked in a flustered voice, "Master, is it... is it alright?"
“Your eyes aren’t poisoned.” Jiang Gu released his grip, his tone cold. “It’s too late.”
"What do you mean it's too late?" Wei Feng was startled by his tone.
The rumbling thunder grew louder as it approached. Wei Feng's ears twitched. The spiritual energy that had been circulating within his body suddenly surged into his dantian. Jiang Gu filled him with spiritual energy, then took some pills and magical treasures and stuffed them into his pocket. He set up hundreds of concealment barriers nearby and instructed, "Do not step out of the barrier even half a step before the thunder stops."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Wei Feng panicked, disregarding the strange, lingering fragrance. In his haste, he grabbed Jiang Gu's hand, dropping the pills and magical artifacts from his arms. He knelt on the ground, pulling Jiang Gu to stop him from leaving. "Master, what's with this thunder? Where are you going?"
"Tribulation." Jiang Gu looked at his pale and youthful face, his voice still cold and distant, "If the thunder stops and I haven't returned by then, you should find a way to leave the secret realm yourself, hide the divine artifact and the identity of the Divine Kite Shark, and you don't need to return to Yanghua Sect."
The higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more dangerous it is when they undergo tribulation. He forcibly suppressed the tribulation for so long and almost took over Wei Feng's body. Judging from the sound of the thunder tribulation, it is likely to be even more severe, and his life or death is unpredictable. The Vermilion Bird mark on Wei Feng's primordial spirit is not a spirit pet recognizing its master. If he only breaks through the tribulation and dies, Wei Feng will still have a chance to live and regain his freedom. Jiang Gu has no intention of making things difficult for him.
But this little brat was too close to him, and now he clung tightly to his hand, refusing to let go, and said in a panic and urgency, "Master, take me with you! I'll go with you! I can protect you!"
Jiang Gu ruthlessly shook off his hand and slapped him unconscious.
Too verbose.
As soon as he stepped out of the barrier, the first lightning tribulation crashed down. Jiang Gu's spiritual power was at its peak at this moment, so he summoned his natal sword, which had already developed cracks when he dealt with the fox-faced horned beast, to take the lightning tribulation in his place. Then he flew towards the place with the most abundant spiritual power nearby.
This is an inverted triangular canyon with towering peaks and ancient trees. Waterfalls cascade down the cliffs. Jiang Gu is suspended in mid-air. He quickly sets up a tribulation-crossing formation with the waterfall as the center. Then he places nine heaven-rank magic treasures around the formation. Before the second lightning tribulation arrives, he methodically sets up the formation and talismans and enters the formation alone.
External formations and talismans are better than nothing. No matter how many Heavenly Rank magic treasures you have, they can't stop the final three lightning tribulations. Breaking through from the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage to the Void Refinement stage is a major tribulation. There are no more than nine Heavenly Rank magic treasures for the tribulation-crossing formation. Having more than nine will only backfire and make the lightning strike even harder. In the end, the lightning tribulation is not coming to strike the magic treasures and formations, but to strike the person.
Jiang Gu dodged five lightning tribulations within the formation. Above the waterfall, dark clouds churned and the wind howled. Another bolt of heavenly lightning crashed down, shattering the nine heavenly-rank magic treasures into pieces. Several cracks also appeared in the tribulation-crossing formation.
Jiang Gu's eardrums throbbed with pain, and blood streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto his left wrist, which was marked with a hand seal. A red light flashed in the black jade bracelet on his primordial spirit, but Jiang Gu had no time to care. The next lightning tribulation struck down with a deafening roar, crashing down on the cross-legged youth.
Boom—
A flash of red light appeared in the black jade bracelet, and Wei Feng, who was lying on the ground, was suddenly awakened. Immediately afterwards, he was stunned by a deafening thunderclap. The ground began to shake violently, and he staggered forward two steps before tripping and falling to the ground.
Wei Feng quickly got up and hurriedly took out the black gauze from his sleeve and tied it in front of his eyes. Outside the concealment barrier, sand and stones were flying and rain was pouring down. Thick black clouds rolled and roared, and azure lightning seemed to want to tear the sky apart. In the distance, tribulation lightning dozens of feet thick poured down from the sea of clouds, deafeningly loud.
"Master!" Wei Feng scrambled to his feet, hurriedly stuffed the magic treasures and pills Jiang Gu had left him into his storage bag, and rushed out of the barrier without a second thought.
Wei Feng summoned his flying sword and headed straight for the direction of the lightning tribulation.
The torrential rain mixed with sand and gravel pelted his face, and the howling cold wind tangled the black veil and ponytail behind his head. Wei Feng's mind was in chaos. He had thrown all the complaints Jiang Gu had thrown at him and the suspicions he had developed about Jiang Gu because of that faint fragrance to the back of his mind. He had only one thought in his mind—he could not live without his master.
Even if he can't help in any way, he still wants to find Jiang Gu, see him safe and sound, and know that he is still alive!
The faces of countless people he had encountered since childhood flashed before his eyes. He had been alone since childhood and had encountered far more malice than kindness. The only people he could trust were Xuan Zhiyan and Xia Ling, but their abilities were limited, and sometimes Wei Feng even had to protect them. Therefore, Wei Feng was never used to relying on others.
But Jiang Gu is different.
Jiang Gu took him as his disciple, taught him how to cultivate, sent him to Touchun Peak to study, risked his life to save him, and almost taught him how to be a cultivator step by step. Even though he was cold and even strict and harsh, Wei Feng was not without suspicion and wariness towards him, but he also liked him very much and cared about him a lot.
Without Jiang Gu, he would have returned to the stagnant, helpless days he had before.
Everyone else gets the care and love of their teachers and mentors, why doesn't he?!
The lightning tribulation looked close, but it was actually far away. By the time he flew to the canyon near the lightning tribulation on his sword, two hours had already passed.
A tall, upright young man stood on the scorched, cracked ground. His body was completely blackened, making it impossible to see his features. Surrounding him were surging spiritual energy and flames left by tribulation lightning. He stood there with his back to Wei Feng, his shoulders and back already torn and bleeding.
Jiang Gu's vision went black. Each lightning tribulation was more ferocious than the last, as if it was determined to strike him to death here. Now, only the last of the thirty-six lightning tribulations remained. However, he had almost exhausted his spiritual power by withstanding the previous two. His body had been shattered beyond recognition by the lightning. He could only withstand the last one with his primordial spirit. If he could not withstand it, his soul would be scattered.
Even his breath smelled of burnt flesh. Jiang Gu struggled to lift his head and look at the golden thunderclouds, which were even larger than before. The blood that had congealed on his eyelashes fell to the ground. Although it was only a very soft sound, it sounded more intense to him than a lightning tribulation.
His body swayed uncontrollably, and a sharp pain shot through his knees, seemingly forcing him to kneel down. Just as he was about to kneel, Jiang Gu gritted his teeth and stood up again, squinting at the final, solidified bolt of lightning.
Thunder roared and hovered overhead, seemingly enraged that he hadn't knelt down.
The lightning bolt, which was originally tens of feet thick, suddenly grew larger, almost covering the entire canyon. Jiang Gu's expression changed.
Wei Feng, who had just struggled to fly above the canyon, stared in shock at the ridiculously large lightning bolt. He had never seen such a huge lightning bolt before!
Just as the tribulation lightning was about to strike, and Jiang Gu was already teetering on the brink of collapse, Wei Feng's mind went blank. Suddenly, his silver-blue wings unfurled from behind him, and he flew straight toward Jiang Gu at an incredible speed. Before the tribulation lightning struck, he pulled Jiang Gu into his arms, the huge wings of the kite bird wrapping him up completely.
"...Wei Feng?" Jiang Gu was plunged into darkness, but upon smelling the faint, pungent scent of birds emanating from Wei Feng, he instantly snapped back to reality and demanded sharply, "What are you doing here!"
Wei Feng was trembling with fear, burying his head in the crook of his neck, but still holding the man firmly beneath him.
"Get out of my way!" Jiang Gu roared, grabbing his wing to throw him away, but Wei Feng's strength was surprisingly great, and he couldn't budge him an inch.
A blinding golden light, accompanied by lightning and thunder, crashed down from the sky!
Jiang Gu's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He grabbed Wei Feng's wing and pressed him outwards. Wei Feng immediately felt pain and lost his grip. Jiang Gu flipped over and pinned him down. The lightning tribulation followed closely behind. Excruciating pain shot through his limbs and bones. His bones cracked and popped. His primordial spirit was also nearly scattered by the lightning tribulation, but he gritted his teeth and forcibly gathered it together.
But the final lightning tribulation lasted an exceptionally long time. Jiang Gu's arms were braced against the sides of Wei Feng's head, and his vision was already blurred. Hot blood dripped down his nose and brow bone onto Wei Feng's face, scalding him so much that he regained consciousness after fainting.
He stared intently at Jiang Gu, his wings trembling as he raised them and laboriously placed them on Jiang Gu's already bloodied and mangled back. He slowly gathered them together and pulled Jiang Gu back into his arms, before the lightning mercilessly shattered those unsightly wings.
Jiang Gu was already at his limit. Even though it was an extremely slight force, it felt like a thousand pounds. His arm went limp, and he fell onto Wei Feng. Blood flowed like water, soaking Wei Feng's entire body.
"Master..." Wei Feng was in so much pain that he wished he could faint. Even though Jiang Gu had withstood most of the tribulation lightning, the remaining lightning was enough to make him suffer unbearably. He held Jiang Gu's body tightly. The black veil in front of him had been melted by the lightning, but he was shocked to see the purplish-black tribulation lightning that suddenly appeared in the golden light of the tribulation lightning. The lightning within lightning was fierce and came straight at Jiang Gu's dantian spiritual root like a sharp sword.
Wei Feng, with strength that seemed to spring from nowhere, suddenly flipped over and shielded Jiang Gu beneath him. His primordial spirit transformed into the form of a divine kite shark, its murky black and gray aura churning and suddenly increasing hundreds of times, enveloping Jiang Gu's dusty primordial spirit.
Almost simultaneously, the black jade bracelets on Wei Feng's wrist and in Jiang Gu's primordial spirit erupted with a burst of brilliant golden light, firmly gathering the two primordial spirits that were about to disperse into one place. The purplish-black tribulation lightning was completely absorbed into them, and a deep purple pattern immediately appeared on the black jade bracelets.
After an unknown amount of time, the final lightning tribulation slowly dissipated and disappeared.
The cold rain lashed against the charred cloth, and a howling wind blew. Jiang Gu opened his eyes, a golden light flashing in them. His spiritual power surged, and his body, which had been charred black, was completely renewed. His dantian and sea of consciousness expanded more than tenfold. He could not only clearly sense the several spiritual veins lurking underground, but his divine sense, which spread out in an instant, could even cover the entire Xiyuan Secret Realm.
But he quickly withdrew his consciousness. He slowly moved his fingers and regained control of his body. His five senses gradually returned to normal, and he finally felt the weight on his body.
Wei Feng remained tightly embracing him. Unlike Jiang Gu, who was undergoing tribulation to reshape his body, Wei Feng had forcibly intervened in a lightning tribulation that did not belong to him. He had been struck so hard that little bit of good flesh remained, and he was covered in mud on Jiang Gu's body. Jiang Gu mobilized his spiritual power to probe his primordial spirit. His originally ordinary primordial spirit had become filthy, black, and turbid, as if it had finally revealed its original ferocious face. The moment it sensed Jiang Gu's spiritual power, even though it was already covered in wounds, it still bit down violently and fiercely.
This thing could absolutely not be a person's primordial spirit.
Jiang Gu used some force to subdue Wei Feng's primordial spirit and press it back into his dantian. Then, he enveloped Wei Feng's mud-like body with spiritual power, and Wei Feng's flesh and bones began to grow rapidly, finally resembling a human.
Wei Feng briefly regained consciousness. He lay on top of Jiang Gu, clutching his shirt tightly.
Jiang Gu looked at the young man on his body with complicated emotions. He never thought that someone would risk their life to help him withstand the tribulation. Although he had taken the divine artifact himself, if Wei Feng hadn't come, the artifact would not have been able to be reunited, and he would definitely not have been able to withstand the tribulation.
He was utterly puzzled. "What are you doing here?"
Wei Feng buried his head in his neck, warm, wet liquid seeping into his clothes, his voice hoarse and stubborn, "Master... don't leave me alone..."
Just now, during the lightning tribulation, he vaguely saw a dark smear on Jiang Gu's left wrist, but he was in too much pain to think about it.
He couldn't think too deeply about it.
He was already grateful and content as long as he knew that his master was not dead and would continue to stay by his side.
He's mentally ill.
Jiang Gu couldn't understand his thoughts. He sat up from the ground with a blank expression. Wei Feng had been holding him tightly the whole time. Jiang Gu looked displeased and raised his hand as if to tear him off and throw him away. But remembering that he had saved him just now, he reluctantly decided to be polite and said, "Get up."
Wei Feng raised his head and gave him a deep look.
That look was extremely stubborn, gloomy and sad, but his eyes were red and filled with tears, making him look pitiful and miserable.
Jiang Gu had seen his pitiful act so many times that he was unmoved. Just as he was about to reach out and tear the man off, Wei Feng suddenly grabbed his neck and bit him viciously.
The sweet, metallic taste of blood lingered between his lips and teeth. Wei Feng clenched his teeth tightly, refusing to let go. His gaze was fierce and sinister, yet he whimpered pitifully. Tears fell drop by drop onto Jiang Gu's bare back and into the scorched earth. He was sobbing uncontrollably, his heart twisting into a grotesque mass of rotten flesh from the choking on Jiang Gu's blood, yet he refused to let go, even at the cost of his life.
Jiang Gu frowned slightly in pain, pinched the base of his wing and twisted it sharply, saying calmly, "What's wrong with you now?"
Wei Feng cried out in pain and slowly released his mouth, but instinctively used his long, forked tongue to gently lick the teeth marks he had made.
The soft, warm touch was extremely strange. Jiang Gu realized what was happening and his face darkened. "Wei Feng, what are you doing?"
"Master..." Wei Feng licked the blood from the corner of his lips, called out to him indistinctly, and then his body went limp and he fainted.
Jiang Gu instinctively caught it, and was immediately covered in hot feathers.
baffling.
Perhaps he was struck dumb by lightning.
Volume Two: Ghost Face and White Eyes
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