Chapter 61 [VIP]
When Jiang Zhuochen woke up again, he was already back in his room. The quilt was warm and cozy, making him feel so lazy that he didn't want to move at all.
The person who brought him back seemed to have considered this as well, leaving only a dim light by the bedside. Jiang Zhuochen turned his head and saw Xu Xing whispering something to a man through a carved wooden door.
He groaned twice, and Xu Xing, hearing the noise, turned around, walked over in a few steps, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Jiang Zhuochen moved his head, then buried his mouth under the covers and mumbled, "No. What happened to me?"
"It's just mild hallucination caused by inhaling too much mineral toxins. It'll be fine once it's metabolized." After receiving the doctor's diagnosis, Xu Xing was both amused and exasperated. Looking at the boy with a flushed face and a somewhat dazed look in his eyes, he felt both sorry for him and lingering fear.
He pulled the blanket around Jiang Zhuochen tightly and said decisively, "I won't bring you here anymore."
Jiang Zhuochen immediately wilted, muttering softly, "But it was actually quite comfortable..."
"Even if you're comfortable, it's not okay." Xu Xing pinched his nose, his attitude firm: "Your health is the most important thing."
Although he couldn't soak in the hot springs, Jiang Zhuochen, after taking a nap, was full of energy again. Looking out the window at the landscape covered in white snow, with scattered greenery emerging from the underground hot springs, he felt that he couldn't leave empty-handed.
"Shall we go out for a walk?" He tugged at Xu Xing's sleeve and, taking advantage of the other's position, covered him with the tablet. "Don't be busy with work. You promised to spend time with me."
Xu Xing smiled indulgently and tossed the tablet onto the table. "Where do you want to go?"
“Anywhere is fine.” Jiang Zhuochen turned his head, and the mountain surrounded by ice and mist outside the window was faintly visible. “Let’s go see the volcano while we’re at it.”
Xu Xing looked at his expectant face and couldn't bear to spoil his mood. Besides, this island was his private property, and it was good to let him move around a bit, provided it was safe. "Okay, but you must wear enough clothes and follow my instructions."
"Okay, okay." Jiang Zhuochen pulled him up and complained in a low voice, "You're so long-winded, Xu Xing."
Xu Xing was rebuffed by his retort, feeling utterly helpless: "Whose fault is it? If you cared more about yourself, would I need to tell you?"
He picked up the winter coat he had prepared beforehand and personally helped Jiang Zhuochen put it on layer by layer. When Jiang Zhuochen secretly took it off while he turned around, he patiently helped him put it on again until he was wrapped up like a round ball.
Jiang Zhuochen frowned and said with disdain, "I'm not cold, don't wear so many clothes, it looks terrible."
"Didn't you just agree to listen to me?" Xu Xing stopped his hand from taking off his clothes and coaxed, "You're not fully recovered yet, be good."
"..." Jiang Zhuochen hesitated, then fell silent.
The two stepped out of the warm villa, their feet sinking into the soft snow. The sky above was a pure azure, and sunlight shone brightly on the snow. The air was bitingly cold, yet incredibly fresh.
The island is quite large, and apart from the hot spring area and villas, most of it retains its original appearance. They strolled slowly along a cleared path, flanked by pine and cypress trees with icicles hanging from them.
Jiang Zhuochen was curious about everything, kicking the plants at his feet one moment and pointing at the animals not far away the next.
A fluffy Arctic hare was sunbathing on the snow when it heard the noise and stood up and ran away. Jiang Zhuochen's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but laugh at the incongruous "long legs".
He leaned against Xu Xing, his shoulders trembling. "What kind of rabbit is this? Would it be good to roast it? Can I even catch it?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Xing smiled slightly, but deliberately said, "This is a nature reserve, hunting is prohibited here."
As Jiang Zhuochen listened, he inexplicably recalled that when he wanted to go to the back mountain for an extra meal, his master seemed to have said something similar—the back mountain is the habitat of immortals and spirits, and hunting is prohibited.
He chuckled, wondering what he had said. Jiang Zhuochen stood up straight to face Xu Xing, slowly backing away step by step.
"What if I want to eat it?"
He met the other's deep, gentle eyes, as if this person would unconditionally forgive everything he had done, and would remain unchanged as always. He seemed to be... increasingly accustomed to overlapping the person in front of him with the teacher in his memory.
Xu Xing grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling, and even though it was an unreasonable request, his expression didn't change at all. "Then let's do it secretly, without letting anyone else know."
So his master secretly got him a roasted rabbit, without letting outsiders know.
Jiang Zhuochen reached out and hugged Xu Xing tightly, her eyes crinkling with joy, wishing she could cling to him. "Why are you so good to me?"
Xu Xing gently patted his back, "If I'm not good to you, who else should I be good to?"
Jiang Zhuochen chuckled, released him, and continued walking. Along the way, they passed a lake that hadn't frozen due to geothermal activity; wisps of steam rose from its surface, creating a wondrous contrast with the surrounding ice and snow, like a scene from a fairyland. Even in a sheltered mountain hollow, they discovered several small purple flowers stubbornly blooming in the bitter cold, their vibrant colors standing out against the white snow.
“This place is really strange,” Jiang Zhuochen exclaimed. “On one side it’s a world of ice and snow, and on the other side it’s sweltering. No wonder such unique flowers can grow here.”
He squatted by the lake, carefully scooping up a handful of warm water. He felt that the spiritual energy here was slightly richer than elsewhere. Although it was far from the blessed lands and grotto-heavens of the cultivation world, it was still a rare find in this mortal realm. After his stroll, he could meditate and cultivate to replenish his depleted spiritual energy.
"You like it very much?" Xu Xing stopped behind him.
"It's alright." Jiang Zhuochen thought for a moment and added, "It's quite novel."
Xu Xing immediately retracted his previous statement without hesitation, "You can come again when you have time if you like, but you can't soak in the hot springs anymore."
Jiang Zhuochen couldn't help but laugh and contradicted him: "Maybe I'll get used to it after a couple more times."
“There are hot springs back home too.” Xu Xing ran his fingers through Jiang Zhuochen’s hair, his eyes filled with the man’s lively expression. “You can soak in whichever one you want. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll have someone airlift the water from here back to you.”
Jiang Zhuochen was even more amused than when he saw a long-legged Arctic hare. He shook the water off his palm, stood up, and mischievously flicked it at the other party.
Water droplets slid down his face, and when he reached out to wipe them away, the dampness from his fingertips transferred to the other person's face. He coughed and said casually, "Atmosphere, Master, it's all about the atmosphere."
Xu Xing silently took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands clean to prevent them from getting cold. "I'll set up whatever atmosphere you want."
Jiang Zhuochen remembered: "I forgot, you're a rich man."
After chatting and strolling around the lake and flowerbeds, Jiang Zhuochen's gaze returned to the silent volcano in the distance. The closer he got, the more he could feel a faint, intense heat emanating from the depths of the earth.
His mind started racing. Maybe the volcano had produced some kind of molten crystal, a treasure for cultivation. "Shall we go take a look at that active volcano? Maybe we can find something good."
Looking into his gleaming eyes, Xu Xing knew he couldn't stop him.
Fortunately, he had someone survey the volcano's geological structure before he arrived. Although it was an active volcano, it had been very stable recently and had a comprehensive monitoring system. He pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay, but it's better to be cautious."
"Don't worry." Jiang Zhuochen patted his chest to assure him, then rummaged in his Qiankun bag and quickly pulled out a bead that was entirely crimson and emitted a gentle heat. "This is a fire-avoiding bead. With it, you can move freely through flames."
Xu Xing frowned. He thought it was just a trip to the crater, but this person actually wanted to go inside the volcano—truly audacious! He took the bead, about the size of a ping-pong ball, and remained silent for a moment.
Jiang Zhuochen noticed his hesitation and snuggled closer to him. "You gave this to me, don't you trust yourself?"
Xu Xing sighed, rubbed the head that had offered up to him, and said, "Let's go."
The higher you go, the sparser the vegetation becomes, and the temperature gradually rises. A faint smell of sulfur permeates the air. The snow underfoot has long since disappeared, replaced by dark volcanic rock and traces of solidified lava flows. The crater resembles a giant bowl with steep edges, and a faint red glow flickers deep within its rim, while waves of heat wash over you.
Jiang Zhuochen activated the Fire-Avoiding Pearl, and a faint red halo enveloped the two of them, instantly isolating them from the high temperature outside and even dissipating the pungent smell.
"Shall we go down and take a look?" Jiang Zhuochen was eager to try.
Xu Xing grabbed the excited boy, chose a relatively gentle slope, and carefully led him down the slope.
The interior of the volcano is even more spectacular than from above. The surrounding area is filled with jagged, craggy volcanic rocks, displaying various shapes forged by intense heat.
The bottom was not the boiling lava lake one might imagine, but rather a relatively flat area of black rock with several holes of varying sizes in the center from which scorching steam spewed out, making a chilling sound.
The central opening is the largest, with faint red light and incredible heat emanating from it, clearly leading to deeper ley lines.
“Molten Fire Crystals are usually born in the places where the earth's vein fire is at its purest and under the greatest pressure, often accompanied by magma…” Jiang Zhuochen explained as he focused his senses. He closed his eyes and carefully extended his divine sense downwards, avoiding the violent heat currents, searching for that pure and solid fire elemental power.
Time passed slowly, and Xu Xing quietly stayed by his side, occasionally observing their surroundings.
Suddenly, Jiang Zhuochen opened his eyes, a hint of disappointment on his face: "Strange, I sensed a very powerful fire spirit power, but it doesn't seem to have condensed into a solid mystic crystal."
He pointed to the largest opening, which was flashing red light: "It's right there, deep down."
"Is there any danger?" Xu Xing was more concerned about this.
"As long as you don't touch it directly, you should be fine with the fire-repelling pearl."
"Then let's go take a look."
As the two entered the cave, the scorching flames nearly devoured the protective glow around them, relentlessly pounding against the light barrier.
Jiang Zhuochen flipped through the pages, walking further and further in, until he was almost at the center when he sadly realized that there was no Molten Fire Crystal inside.
I thought my spiritual power would reach a higher level, but it was all for naught.
Just as he was about to leave, a darker red flame emerged from the bottom of the cave where the flames were raging, before being covered by lava.
"Um?"
"What did you find?" Xu Xing asked, noticing his puzzled expression.
"Not sure, let's go further in."
Jiang Zhuochen pulled Xu Xing to the edge of the cliff. One step further was the bottom of the cave, which plunged vertically. The two stood there for a while, waiting for that wisp of dark red to emerge again.
"It really is subterranean fire." Luckily, it's a long one.
"You want to take it?" Xu Xing asked him.
“Since we’re already here,” Jiang Zhuochen said, rubbing his hands together. “Although it can’t compare to the Xuanjing, which is full of spiritual energy, this thing is much more powerful than talismans in a fight.”
Without further ado, Jiang Zhuochen gestured for Xu Xing to step back, then sat cross-legged on the ground. He took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and slowly circulated his spiritual energy.
A short while later, a thin, elongated flame was forcibly extracted from the red light at the bottom of the cave. As soon as that wisp of dark red fire appeared, the surrounding temperature soared, and even the aura of the fire-avoiding pearl rippled.
Jiang Zhuochen dared not delay. He quickly took out a jade bottle from his Qiankun bag and carefully guided the struggling wisp of fire into it. Then, he lifted the still cool-to-the-touch jade bottle and exhaled with satisfaction.
Xu Xing quickly stepped forward to support him, but looking at his pale face, he wasn't in the same mood as the other man. "Nonsense, don't take such risks again next time."
Even so, he still carefully examined Jiang Zhuochen and confirmed that he had only overexerted his spiritual energy and had no external injuries before he was relieved.
"I know, I know," Jiang Zhuochen leaned against Xu Xing, chuckling as he played with the jade bottle. "A little bit of spiritual energy, I'll recover it in a few days of cultivation here."
"Who is it that has been injured time and time again because of a little bit of spiritual power?"
"Are you settling scores with me?" Jiang Zhuochen's eyes darted around. "If you hadn't stood by and done nothing for me the other day, and hadn't been stern and rude to me every day, I wouldn't have... um."
Xu Xing lowered his head and kissed his lips, silencing the words he was about to say. After kissing for a while, he pulled away a little to look into the eyes of the person in his arms, and gently rubbed his earlobe.
"It was my fault."
Jiang Zhuochen was satisfied and relieved of his strength. After resting in the cave for a while, the two returned along the same route.
Over the next few days, Jiang Zhuochen rested peacefully on the island. He spent his days meditating to restore his spiritual power, exploring the island with Xu Xing, or sleeping in the warm villa. Xu Xing arranged his daily life very well.
His shoulder wound had completely healed, and his spiritual energy had returned to its optimal state. Judging by the time, it was about time he went back.
A note from the author:
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