Chapter 30: Recklessly Pursuing Divine Weapons (Revised)
With Gongyi Xiao's guidance, the three quickly broke through the protective formation of the Illusion Flower Palace and found their target location.
The original work doesn't describe the location where the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Ganoderma grows in much detail, only briefly mentioning that "it was a cave covered in lush greenery." After all, this thing isn't closely related to the male protagonist (and his harem); instead, it's assigned to Luo Binghe's rival as one of the tools used against the male protagonist. Shang Qinghua really risked his life to remember even this little bit of information.
That's precisely why Shen Qingqiu dared to act. If it were something related to the main plot, like rare flowers and herbs for Luo Binghe to use for leveling up, he wouldn't have the guts to steal them. Stealing things from the male lead's enemy shouldn't be a problem!
Trying to compete with the male lead for resources doesn't end up being as sweet as trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead!
Even though the exact location is unclear, fortunately, although the Bailu Forest is vast, there is only one cave.
Shen Qingqiu snapped his fingers, and a cluster of bright yellow flames leaped from his fingertips. With another flick, the flames swayed and swam into the depths of the dark, damp cave, clearing a path ahead.
At first, the rocky path could accommodate three people walking side by side, but it became increasingly narrow as one went on, requiring one to turn sideways to pass through. Moreover, it twisted and turned in countless ways, resembling the intestines of a giant beast.
The light was dim, and even the flame that Shen Qingqiu had conjured flickered. He flicked out several more, and the fireballs chased each other. After Gongyi Xiao brought up the rear, Shang Qinghua had intended to wait outside the cave, but Shen Qingqiu pulled him inside. Whether he was afraid or not, he kept touching Shen Qingqiu's arm, giving him goosebumps.
Finally, Shen Qingqiu couldn't hold back any longer. With outsiders present, he whispered, "Could you please stop pinching me?"
There was no response. He stopped touching him. Shen Qingqiu continued to feel around, but Shang Qinghua kicked him in the shin again.
Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but blurt out, "Damn!"
Shang Qinghua's voice came from behind: "Senior Brother Chen! What did you say?"
His voice echoed through the winding rocky path, seemingly stretched out.
Unbeknownst to them, Shen Qingqiu was walking faster and faster, while Shang Qinghua was dawdling, which even slowed down Gongyi Xiao, who was at the back. He had already left the other two quite a distance behind.
If it wasn't Shang Qinghua, then who was the person who was touching him just now?
Or rather, what is the thing that he touched?
Shen Qingqiu suddenly stopped.
He patted his arm expressionlessly, trying to brush off the goosebumps.
Several flames still hung in the air, burning eerily.
The enemy is in the dark, we are in the light.
Shen Qingqiu flipped his left hand and pulled out several talismans from his sleeve, while his right hand slowly drew out the Xiuya Sword.
The sword light slowly rose, and in front of and behind were only dark rocks, exuding a damp, fishy smell.
He suddenly remembered that the blow to his shin earlier didn't seem to be a kick. It was more like... a headbutt!
Shen Qingqiu suddenly looked down and his eyes met those of a pale, swollen face on the ground!
Shen Qingqiu threw the talisman in his left hand at the face, and in an instant, the narrow rock passage exploded with lightning and sparks. He tried to draw his sword with his right hand, but the space was too small, and before he could draw it halfway, his arm hit the rock wall, and the hilt of the sword struck the rock with a clang.
The thing was soft and boneless, gliding across the ground like a giant snake, dodging with incredible speed. Even at such close range, the talisman missed; it was even more agile than Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu drew his sword twice before finally succeeding, but was only a step too late as it swiftly turned and slithered away. That was the direction Shang Qinghua and Gongyi Xiao had come from. He shouted, "Something's gone! Be careful!"
Upon hearing this, Shang Qinghua immediately turned around and said, "Young hero, quick! Let's switch positions!" How can someone who works in logistics be on the front lines of battle!
Gongyi Xiao did as instructed, but the path was ridiculously narrow, leaving only a fist's width behind him when he turned sideways; he simply couldn't pass. Shang Qinghua then heard Shen Qingqiu shouting, "On the ground! Look at the ground! It's crawling on the ground!" Turning his head again, he saw a snake-man slithering over.
Shang Qinghua made a decisive move and immediately lay down!
Gongyi Xiao had never seen such a bizarre monster before. He froze for a moment, then suddenly saw Senior Shang also lying down. Startled, he quickly recovered, said, "Excuse me!" and leaped over...
No matter how ugly it looks, at least the support and the forwards have switched positions...
Shen Qingqiu shouted again, "Don't draw your sword..." Before he could finish saying the word "sword," Gongyi Xiao drew his sword in a daze, and of course, the same thing happened again. The sword was only halfway drawn when the hilt hit the rock wall.
Shen Qingqiu rushed over with his sword, thinking to himself, "Ugh, what an idiot!"
Gongyi Xiao was wronged.
Shen Qingqiu was actually aware that it was just that he reacted too quickly, acting before the call was even finished; anyone in his position would have gotten the same result. However, in the past, whenever he occasionally teamed up with Luo Binghe, Luo Binghe would understand perfectly without him even having to say a word. Comparing the two, Shen Qingqiu began to miss his easy-going disciple.
The rocky path was twisted and dark, making it easy for the thing to move around. Shen Qingqiu grabbed another handful of talismans, but it had already disappeared without a trace.
Gongyi Xiao asked incredulously, "Senior Shen, was that the same monster you encountered in Bailu Forest before?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded and said, "That's it. I don't know how it managed to escape when attacked from both sides."
Shang Qinghua remained expressionless, got up from the ground, dusted off his clothes, and said, "You crawled right up to me."
Gongyi Xiao: "..."
Shen Qingqiu: "...Let's go. This time, stay close."
Even without him saying it, this time, Shang Qinghua refused to stay more than two feet away from him, no matter what!
After spinning until they were dizzy, the three finally emerged from the rocky passage. Deeper into the cave, they lay prone on the ground, and suddenly a bright and open space opened up before them.
Shen Qingqiu had always been puzzled as to why something like the "Sun and Moon Dew Flower Fungus," which seemed to gather the essence of heaven and earth, could grow in the deepest part of this cave, where there should be no sunlight. Now he finally understood.
It turns out that at the very top of this cave, there was a gaping opening. Sunlight and moonlight streamed directly through this opening, shining like a spotlight onto a single point in the center of the lake within the cave. And that point, naturally, was the land that nurtured the sun, moon, dew, and fragrant plants.
That small piece of land was surrounded by a sparkling little lake.
Shang Qinghua grunted and confirmed, "Dew Lake. That's it."
Only with his established settings could he confidently draw conclusions. Even if it was just a rough draft, as the author, he wouldn't make a mistake. Shen Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief after receiving confirmation. It seemed he had found the right place.
This is no ordinary lake water. It is rootless morning dew. Rootless water plus morning dew, full of spiritual energy, nourishes the Sun and Moon Dew Ganoderma. After the fleshy fungus matures, its roots are soaked in water and soil, which in turn nourishes the dew. This cycle repeats endlessly, and the spiritual energy is inexhaustible.
While praising the visit, Gongyi Xiao finally understood the purpose of the two peak masters of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect's trip.
However, he did not understand the significance of this item to them. Instead, he found it strange that the Cangqiong Mountain Sect was one of the top sects, and it collected many rare and exotic flowers every day. Although the Lu Hua Zhi was rare and exquisite, it was not worth so much, and it would have troubled the two peak masters to come all the way to pick it in person.
Shen Qingqiu's eyes were now only on the small, white mushrooms on the land in the center of the lake.
This is the hope of survival, isn't it!
He tossed his hem and resolutely stepped into the lake. The water in Dew Lake is all good stuff; a dip in it will make you healthier!
After walking a dozen steps, the dew reached above her waist, neither too hot nor too cold, seeping into her skin and seemingly nourishing her very soul, bringing her a sense of peace and tranquility. Shen Qingqiu looked at the dozens of tender, white dewdrops on the small mound before her, took a deep breath, and reached out. Carefully, she plucked each one, leaving a bit of soil around it, and tucked it directly into her sleeve.
The Infinite Space Qiankun Sleeve is an essential item for leisure and cultivation at home. It was personally gifted by Yue Qingyuan, the leader of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect. I don't tell just anyone about it!
Although these Lu Zhis are still small and look like bean sprouts, once he finds a place with abundant spiritual energy and excellent feng shui to plant them and raise them according to the plan, they will be his lifeline!
Shen Qingqiu treated these little things with utmost care, as if they were afraid they would fly away if he held them in his hands or melt if he kept them in his mouth.
He hesitated for a moment before pulling them out. After all, the growth of *Gynostemma pentaphyllum* in this area was quite a spectacle, and pulling them all out seemed a bit unfair. After some deliberation, and further consideration, he realized he wasn't sure if this method would work. If things went wrong and the plant was destroyed, having a few more would at least provide some compensation. He could only hope for the best. Insurance was the best policy.
With the last dewdrop still clutched in his hand, before he could even toss it into his sleeve, Shen Qingqiu suddenly heard the sound of a sword being drawn behind him.
As soon as he turned around, Gongyi Xiao was already holding a sword, and even the monk Qinghua was on high alert, staring intently at him.
Shen Qingqiu held his breath. Suddenly, something long and enormous leaped out of the lake, like a giant fish, lunging head-on at Shen Qingqiu. A pale, expressionless face flew towards him. It was the very thing that had followed them all the way!
At the same time, Gongyi Xiao had already completed his sword technique, and his longsword flew towards the creature with lightning speed. However, it was cunning and agile; it missed Shen Qingqiu in its pounce and sank into the lake, never to rise again, stirring up the sand and soil that had settled there for years, making the lake murky and turbid. Gongyi Xiao recalled his immortal sword and said, "Senior Shen, come up quickly!"
Shen Qingqiu laughed and said, "No rush. I'll just catch some fish for fun."
He stood still and slowly took out a talisman from his pocket.
Gongyi Xiao said, "A single talisman probably won't be enough to deal with this thing..."
Before he could even utter the word "enough," Shen Qingqiu clenched his fist, and a single talisman instantly multiplied into a dozen.
Gongyi Xiao: "..."
Shen Qingqiu grabbed the stack of talismans and punched them into the water. One, two, three.
Several loud explosions!
Twelve water droplets, each over ten feet high, burst open on the lake's surface!
The snake-man who was originally hiding at the bottom of the lake was also blown out of the water, thrown high into the air, and crashed heavily to the ground at Shang Qinghua's feet.
Shen Qingqiu stepped ashore. Enjoying the dew bath, he wasn't in a hurry to dry himself. He crossed his arms and said, "Look, what exactly is this thing?"
Gongyi Xiao turned the thing over.
When they turned it over, the three of them were horrified.
After a long pause, Shen Qingqiu turned to Shang Qinghua and asked, "What is this?"
Shang Qinghua managed to squeeze out three words: "...I don't know!"
I really don't know. This creature vaguely resembles a human, with a head full of long hair, a body full of cartilage, and rough, hard skin covered in patches of scales, like a python whose scales haven't been properly scraped off.
Although Shen Qingqiu initially thought it was a female ghost, upon closer inspection of its face, despite its swelling, it was still barely discernible that it had the features of a man.
Shang Qinghua waved his hand and said, "I absolutely did not..." write about such a monster.
Shen Qingqiu said, "...I believe you."
If the original work describes this thing in more than 50 words, there's no reason he wouldn't remember it!
Gongyi Xiao couldn't understand what his seniors were saying, so he offered his own guess: "In my opinion, this monster may not have been born in this shape."
Shen Qingqiu thought there was some truth to it. Looking at its strange shape, it didn't seem like a single species at all; it was more like a deformed species or a hybrid.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Divine punishment, a curse, or a cultivator who failed to master a forbidden technique."
The above three possibilities could very well create this monster.
It kept its eyes fixed on Shen Qingqiu's sleeve. Although this thing was hideous and repulsive, its eyes, hidden in its messy hair, were surprisingly clear, just like those in Dew Lake.
Shen Qingqiu suddenly realized, "No wonder it attacked us."
The other two were taken aback. Shen Qingqiu said, "This thing lives on the dew of Dew Lake. Look." He pointed and said, "Its eyes must have grown like that because it drinks dew every day. There are also some greenish-red moss growing inside its scales, just like the ones on the rock wall. It must have been lurking in this cave for a long time."
This explains everything. If Shen Qingqiu and his group had taken all the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Mushrooms, it would have destroyed the driving force of the spiritual energy cycle. Without the ability to circulate, the Dew Lake would gradually deplete its spiritual energy, becoming a pool of wastewater, and eventually drying up. That's why this thing had been following them, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
He held the tender dewdrop in his hand, and to verify it, he took it out and shook it. Sure enough, the monster's eyes lit up, and it eagerly raised its head, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Gongyi Xiao shouted, "You're courting death!" He gripped the hilt of his sword with a murderous intent.
The snake-man crawled laboriously on the ground. Shen Qingqiu looked on with pity and quickly said, "Wait."
Gongyi Xiao stopped as expected, and asked in confusion, "Senior?"
Shen Qingqiu said, "The houses near Bailu Forest have remained safe and sound for so many years, which means that this... snake man has never done anything evil, so there is no need to exterminate him."
That's true. If this thing had truly killed anyone, the Illusion Flower Palace would have discovered it and eradicated it long ago. It's precisely because it never causes trouble that it's immortal. Speaking of which, it comes to this cave every day to collect dew, and it was Shen Qingqiu and his group who intruded, disturbing its daily routine.
Since he had spoken, Gongyi Xiao thought for a moment and then sheathed his sword. He assumed Shen Qingqiu, like the masters of Zhaohua Temple, believed in compassion. Little did he know, Shen Qingqiu had always had a special fondness for these strange and unusual beasts. He had long said that his interest in unknown creatures far surpassed his interest in the beautiful women in his books. One can only imagine the kind of loving (…) gaze he held towards this limp creature on the ground.
But no one noticed that the creature on the ground was trembling slightly.
The deformed body subtly pressed down on a frail Luzhi seedling. In those incongruous bright eyes, an overwhelming surge of joy was brewing beneath the surface.
After leaving the cave, Gongyi Xiao consciously sat in the driver's seat.
He asked, "Senior Shen, there is something I don't understand. Why didn't that...snake man pick these dew-covered fungus earlier, but only drank the morning dew from the lake?"
Shen Qingqiu said, "When you first went in, did you see the beam of light refracting down from the cave ceiling? We were plagued by it all the way through Bailu Forest. On one occasion, it was burned by the sunlight reflected off the sword and had to retreat. I suspect that this thing can't be exposed to light, especially sunlight and moonlight. That's why it can only move in the shadows of the forest, in caves, and underwater. Luzhi Land is shrouded in the radiance of the sun and moon day and night, so of course it can't get close."
Compared to theoretical encyclopedic education, Huanhua Palace places more emphasis on practical application. Gongyi Xiao, who didn't know much about it, flattered, "I see. Senior Shen is not only compassionate but also knowledgeable. I still have a lot to learn from him."
Shen Qingqiu chuckled dryly, taking it as a sign of humility. The speaker hadn't uttered anything particularly insightful, yet other characters inexplicably expressed admiration, thus highlighting the speaker's high intelligence—this scene was truly exasperating. He couldn't even muster any vanity; only a profound sense of powerlessness remained. =.=
After leaving Bailu Forest, Gongyi Xiao wanted to persuade them to stay, inviting them to sit in Huanhua Palace to inform the old palace master. Shen Qingqiu declined, saying, "The matter is settled, and I have already received your help. I shouldn't bother you any further."
Are you kidding me? What are we doing at the Illusionary Flower Palace? Showing you the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Orchid we just acquired? What if your higher-ups get carried away and insist on discussing its ownership?
Shen Qingqiu smiled and said, "Although this trip was in a hurry, if you, Gongyi Jun, insist on visiting Cangqiong Mountain in the future, Qingjing Peak will be waiting for you."
Shang Qinghua said, "That's right. There's nothing fun to do on Anding Peak. Let's go to Qingjing Peak. Senior Chen will definitely take good care of you."
Gongyi Xiao was overjoyed. He knew that Qingjing Peak, true to its name, preferred tranquility and disliked being disturbed by outsiders. He smiled broadly and said, "I will remember Senior Shen's words. I will definitely bother you in the future."
When he said this, the smile between his brows was indeed a little bit like Luo Binghe's. Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and quickly said, "Of course."
After parting ways with Gongyi Xiao, Shang Qinghua clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "They really do look alike."
Shen Qingqiu kicked him lightly: "Like yarn?"
Shang Qinghua said, "You know perfectly well who I'm talking about. I've been observing you for a long time, and there's something I'm keeping to myself that I'm uncomfortable not saying. I feel like, do you really treat Luo Binghe like your precious, beloved disciple?"
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes and picked at his ear.
Shang Qinghua, oblivious to the danger, analyzed logically and convincingly: "According to the disciples of Qingjing Peak, in the days since returning from the Immortal Alliance Conference, Senior Brother Shen has been listless and absent-minded. Several times, Luo Binghe called out to him, and he even erected a sword mound and sighed deeply. You... don't you actually have a bit of a masochistic tendency?"
Holy crap, it's "disheartened" again! Is this word going to become a stain on my life?!
My disciples of Qingjing Peak are all supposed to be learned and cultured, so when did they become so fond of gossip, spreading such nonsense everywhere? What does this say about the image of our Master?!
Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
The way the guy, who's always asking these nonsensical questions, is like a scene from high school girls gossiping in the dorm: "Tell me! Do you have a crush on XXX?" "No, no, I don't have a crush on XXX at all!" "Don't be shy, O(∩_∩)O haha~"... It's so cringeworthy!
It's really disgusting to have it on two grown men!
Shang Qinghua was completely innocent; he was actually expressing his doubts in a very honest way. It was clearly Shen Qingqiu who was overthinking things because he had something to hide.
Shen Qingqiu interrupted impatiently, "Why haven't you taken action yet?"
Shang Qinghua was stunned: "What?"
Shen Qingqiu looked at him and handed him the riding whip: "Gongyi Xiao is gone, so we need a coachman."
"...Why didn't you rush me even once?"
"You should be considerate of a poisoned patient."
The patient is a fart-prone!
Who was it that was having so much fun tearing apart the monster talisman and blowing up the spirit lake just now?!
Have some shame!
Shen Qingqiu lay in the carriage and shook his sleeves.
This thing was his last lifeline. Calculating the time, there were still five years until Luo Binghe returned to the human world from the Abyss, enough time for him to complete a masterpiece.
His only miscalculation was in one thing.
That is, Luo Binghe actually came back so quickly.
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