Chapter 220 Parents' Love (Part 3)
Qingming emerged from the water and wiped his face.
I thought to myself, why not be attracted to his good looks?
If it were merely a matter of physical attraction, Qingming would readily offer himself in gratitude to Kunyi for saving his life.
Looking at his reflection in the water, Qingming thought to himself: What a pity.
But if this fellow Daoist Kunyi wasn't after his looks, then what was she after for repeatedly risking her life to save him from danger?
During these days of training together, she didn't compete for the spoils of the hunt with everyone else, and she clearly looked down on the low-level spirit beast pelts, furs, bones, and meat in the training grounds...
Qingming had arranged for her to use the best beast cores he could, and she always remained indifferent. In fact, she had given him the highest-grade spirit beast core in the cave to help him recover from his injuries.
Qingming stared at the heavy, dark eyes in the water, completely baffled.
He slowly sank into the water, felt around in his boots, and pulled out a rectangular jade pendant.
If he crushes the jade tablet now and is teleported out of the secret realm by the teleportation array inside, this training will be considered a complete success.
Qingming crushed the jade tablet at this moment, unlike the disciples who had to crush it to save their lives. Those disciples had encountered spirit beasts within the normal range during their training and were unable to defeat them, so being teleported out was considered a failed training.
However, the entrance to the secret realm has now been invaded by a ninth-tier spirit beast that is beyond the range of what the disciples can handle. This is considered an "oversight" on the part of the training ground. The Tianshui Sect, which provided this secret realm training ground, will have to bleed a lot to compensate for the loss of disciples from all the sects.
If Qingming were to leave the training grounds now, not only would all the spiritual items he obtained be preserved, but he would also receive a considerable sum of compensation.
When he discovered the ninth-tier spirit beast at the entrance of the secret realm, he knew that he would gain a lot from this experience, and that he could make a perfect exit after suffering some "unintentional" minor injuries.
When Qingming was knocked away by that ninth-tier spirit beast, he almost burst out laughing.
Once he lands, he can use the pretext of collecting the remains of cultivators from various sects to plunder what others have obtained.
The storage bag is probably going to burst.
With his current cultivation level, after this experience, he has acquired these valuable items and could easily go into seclusion for ten or eight years to focus on cultivation and break through to the peak of Qi Refining.
As for those cultivators who unfortunately died, Qingming felt sorry for them, but not pity.
Cultivators are inherently fighting against fate, and life and death are determined by heaven. He did not force anyone to cooperate with him, and the battles he arranged were without any ulterior motives. He himself occupied the most fatal array eye and almost died.
He was lucky to survive, but at the critical moment he mobilized all his spiritual energy to protect his heart and soul, buying himself a little time to linger and embark on this high-stakes gamble of risking his life for his future.
But despite all his calculations, Qingming couldn't have foreseen Kunyi's unexpected turn of events.
After he was knocked away, before he could even put on a touching display of friendship, sharing life and death, and collect the rare treasures they left behind, Kunyi grabbed him and dragged him away to escape...
Qingming, clinging to life, appeared to be severely injured, but in reality, as long as he crushed the jade tablet and teleported out of this secret realm, his master would be waiting outside to heal his severe injuries, flesh and bones.
Their sect's tradition of cliff dancing is about using small resources to achieve great things. As long as he brings out enough rare and precious treasures, his master will only praise him for doing a good job.
Qingming was able to withdraw, but he kept dragging his feet and didn't actually do so.
It's not that he's being arrogant; firstly, he hasn't collected enough rare and precious treasures yet, and it would be a pity to leave the training ground now.
Secondly, he was genuinely curious about what this fellow Daoist Kunyi intended to do.
Surely it's not like... haha, she fell in love with him at first sight.
Qingming sank into the water, rubbed the jade pendant for a while, and then put it back in his boot. Now that he had taken a high-level beast pill, his injuries had been fully healed, so there was no need for him to rush out.
He has plenty of time to find out Kunyi's purpose...
Why? !
Suddenly, Qingming was grabbed by the back of the neck and pulled out of the water.
Then he received a palm strike on his back that was accompanied by a shockwave of spiritual energy.
"Pfft!" Qingming spat out a mouthful of water.
It was because he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his collar and forced to drink it in shock...
"Cough cough cough cough... cough cough cough cough..."
This palm strike was so powerful and domineering that Qingming almost coughed up his internal organs.
Looking back, he saw the stunningly beautiful "goddess" with a furrowed brow. She grabbed him and threw him onto the shore, then used her spiritual energy to lift him up, preventing him from falling flat on his face.
Qingming: "...cough cough cough..."
He choked to death.
Kunyi followed her ashore, and with a shiver, the water droplets froze into ice and rolled down her body.
The pearls fell tinkling and clattering on the shore, like white jade beads leaping, a truly joyful sight.
Qingming coughed and looked up at Kunyi.
Kunyi raised her hand into a sword-like finger and, without further ado, barged into Qingming's spiritual sea of consciousness.
Why!
Why……
That's all.
Qingming had never been taken advantage of so much in his life that he was numb to it.
Considering she doesn't understand anything...
"Your body and soul are intact, and your injuries have fully healed. Why did you drown?"
Kunyi glared at Qingming, her eyes clearly showing her disappointment and frustration.
Is Qingming really so useless at such a young age?
She kicked him and he almost drowned in the water?
Previously, Qingming had been submerged in the water and caressing his teleportation jade tablet for too long. Kunyi knew that the bird race was naturally afraid of water, and seeing that he had been submerged for too long, she thought he had drowned.
After being pulled out, Qingming coughed violently, which further convinced Kunyi that he had drowned.
Having grown up by the water, and after entering the Daoist path, Qingming, who could hold his breath underwater for over an hour: "..."
A surge of evil fire rose within him, but he quickly recalled how he had been pecked to the bone by a spirit bird and had instinctively held his breath after entering the water, only to be mistaken for drowning by this fellow Daoist Kunyi, who then breathed for him mouth-to-mouth.
twice.
Qingming pursed his lips, sat there, his mind churning with thoughts.
Finally, he lowered his head, his eyes filled with a surging, golden light. A moment later, he looked up, revealing a pure and sincere heart.
Pretending to be weak while secretly being strong, he whispered, "I am not good at swimming. I offended Fellow Daoist Kunyi just now. I was flustered and didn't pay attention..."
Kunyi: "Useless."
Qingming: "..." Fine.
"Fellow Daoist Kunyi, what should we do next?"
Qingming gazed at Kunyi, his mind filled with a thousand calculations, not hesitating to speculate on Kunyi's intentions with the most sinister intent.
At worst, Kunyi might be trying to play the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, and only trying to save him in his time of crisis because she covets the rare and precious treasures he possesses.
But that doesn't quite make sense either.
He was seriously injured earlier. If Kunyi wanted to seize the treasure, she could have simply taken it directly. Why did she save him? It also wasted a high-level beast core.
All sorts of complicated speculations came to an abrupt end when Kunyi used her sword to cut open his waist belt, knelt down and rummaged around his waist, and snatched several of his storage bags.
So their true intentions have finally been revealed: they want to kill him and steal his treasure?
Yes.
After working together for several days, Kunyi saw how many people who had withdrawn from the partnership entrusted their acquired rare and precious materials to him.
Qingming's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he gathered some spiritual energy in his palm, becoming fully alert.
Although he was far inferior to this fellow Daoist Kunyi in terms of strength, Qingming came from a low-class sect and had many underhanded methods.
He practices the righteous path, yet he knows some of the sneak attack techniques of evil sects.
However, before Qingming could launch his sneak attack with his evil methods, Kunyi had already quickly searched his belongings and tossed the rummaged storage bag back to him.
Not a single penny was taken.
With an increasingly grim expression, he asked Qingming, "Did you lose your teleportation jade token?"
No.
It's hidden inside the boot's unique shielding array.
But Qingming naturally couldn't tell Kunyi.
In the cultivation world, killing to seize treasures and slaughtering even close friends to prove one's Dao are commonplace, let alone when they meet by chance.
Qingming pursed his lips again, a look of desolation in his eyes.
"It's not lost... it's broken."
Qingming looked at Kunyi and said, "It shattered when it was attacked by a ninth-tier spirit beast."
“Fellow Daoist Kunyi… Now that a ninth-tier spirit beast has appeared guarding the exit of the secret realm, the immortals outside must have already noticed and will come to our rescue soon.”
"Fellow Daoist Kunyi, you don't need to pay attention to me. Please leave on your own."
"Fellow Daoist Kunyi, rest assured, once I leave the training realm, I will repay your life-saving grace a thousandfold."
As Qingming spoke, he stood up, cupped his hands, and gave Kunyi a solemn bow.
As he bent down, the evil technique of sneaking a palm strike was already complete.
As long as Kunyi harbors ill intentions, it remains to be seen who will kill and steal the treasure.
Kunyi said, "The immortals leading the various sects on this training trip cannot enter the secret realm to rescue people quickly. To enter this secret realm, one needs to suppress their cultivation to the Qi Refining level. Even if one enters here with the Nascent Soul cultivation level, they will only be at the Qi Refining level. If they rush in, they will not be able to rescue people and will only be throwing their lives away."
"There may be one ninth-tier spirit beast, but there may be another."
Kunyi had already thoroughly considered the current situation.
Looking at Qingming, who had an innocent look in his eyes and was still waiting for his sect's immortal elder to come in and save people, she patiently explained: "I'm afraid this is a deliberate act by someone who wants to trap and kill the best of the younger generation in the cultivation world here. The Tianshui Sect may be colluding with evil cultivators. If the leaders of each sect understand the dangers sooner and invite the sect's elders or sect leaders as soon as possible, they may still be able to rescue some of their disciples."
"If they believe any of the Tianshui Sect's excuses, we will never receive any help."
Qingming looked slightly taken aback.
I was genuinely surprised at that moment.
He knew all along that this secret realm training was probably a trap, and that he had come in with the intention of taking advantage of the chaos.
The Tianshui Sect is a great and prosperous sect that has flourished for a thousand years. There are countless elders at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage on its mountain. Why would it collude with evil sects and frame and kill disciples of other sects? To put it bluntly, it was just a secret competition with several other sects that were as famous as it.
The cultivation world has limited resources. For hundreds of years, no ancient powerful beings' cave dwellings have been found. Now, various sects are vying for resources, resorting to underhanded tactics, which has already affected the resident sects of various countries in the human world, and even the royal families.
As the tide turns, the "dragons" in the sea fight each other. The small sect that Qingming belongs to is like a small fish being overturned by the giant waves. It is already a blessing if they can survive on the crest of the wave.
However, the intricacies involved are difficult for anyone other than an insider familiar with the struggles between the various sects to perceive. Qingming knew this because he also had to rely on the fact that his sect had been transformed from an evil sect to a righteous one.
Kunyi is a rogue cultivator who has not yet joined a proper sect. How could she know this?
This person is probably no ordinary individual.
It is not advisable to confront them head-on.
A storm raged through Qingming's mind, but his voice was filled with even more terror: "Then... are we going to die here?"
Kunyi was analyzing the pros and cons for Qingming, not to scare him to death.
Seeing his flustered state, her palms started to itch again. She seriously considered whether to send Qingming into reincarnation on the spot and see if he could be successful in his next life.
Qingming's anxiety was evident, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Fellow Daoist Kunyi has saved me several times, which is more than enough. I am deeply grateful. Fellow Daoist Kunyi, please go first!"
As Qingming spoke, he stuffed all the storage bags he was carrying into Kunyi's arms in one go.
"Fellow Daoist, take these with you," Qingming smiled innocently, his handsome face, as elegant as jade, revealing a resolute expression. "The Great Dao is unpredictable, and we may never meet again. These are a small gift but carry great sentiment; consider them compensation for Fellow Daoist Kunyi's numerous rescues."
Qingming's actions were certainly not intended to give away the hard-earned rare treasures.
He couldn't understand Kunyi's scheme; this was just another test.
The teleportation jade token is for "admitting defeat". Even if Kunyi takes these things, he cannot teleport out of the secret realm. As long as Kunyi leaves this realm, he can pick them up again and they will still be his.
Kunyi was caught off guard and had a full bag of "junk" stuffed into her hands, making her hands even more itchy.
Qingming was the Heavenly Emperor for tens of thousands of years. He was always shrewd and resourceful. The reason why he could not be stopped by the sundial later was because there was no one else in the Heavenly Realm who could not see through or understand the mundane affairs.
How could someone like that, after being reincarnated, become so stupid?
Kunyi felt somewhat frustrated.
But she looked down at the pile of odds and ends of "gifts" in her arms, and then at Qingming's pure and sacrificial expression.
I thought to myself, "Never mind."
They are indeed a bit stupid, probably because their souls are incomplete, and thus their intelligence is lacking.
At least...at least they're somewhat obedient?
So Kunyi suppressed her murderous intent and threw the item back to him.
She made up a lie on the spot: "I also...lost my jade pendant." She gritted her teeth.
He turned his head and said, "We can only leave through the secret realm exit."
Qingming hugged the pile of storage bags, and suddenly realized what was going on.
oh.
It turns out they couldn't leave.
That makes things easier. Whatever her motives, he just needs to find a good opportunity to escape the secret realm on his own.
Once he left the secret realm, he changed his name and appearance. Even if this person wanted revenge, there were countless small sects in the cultivation world, and their sects always changed their names and backgrounds every few years, so she wouldn't be able to find him.
"How could this happen?" Qingming said with a worried expression. "The exit of the secret realm is guarded by ninth-tier spirit beasts, which are beyond our capabilities..."
Kunyi frowned at him, wondering why he, who had seemed to have some sense when directing the disciples of various sects, had become so disoriented after being injured and losing his life-saving jade pendant.
Kunyi gazed into his golden eyes for a long time, and after a while, she was dazzled by the reflection of the pool of water in his eyes.
She asked him, "How old are you?"
Qingming paused for a moment, then said, "...Seventeen."
That's true. In front of cultivators, bone age can be determined simply by touching it, and there's no way to tell by guessing.
In the cultivation world, a cultivator in their teens is like a three- or four-year-old child running around in the mortal world—truly immature.
Kunyi has been in this world for over two hundred years.
She had never found Qingming's reincarnation and thought there was something wrong with the world guided by the spirit silk. It seems... he has already perished once or twice in places she doesn't know about?
That's all.
He is still young in this world.
It's quite remarkable that Seventeen managed to reach the middle level of weapon crafting.
Kunyi took a deep breath, softened her tone slightly, and said, "You come with me, listen to everything I say, and I will take you out."
If Qingming refused again, it would seem strange. He expressed his gratitude at just the right moment, and then said obediently, "I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. Fellow Daoist Kunyi, please give me your orders. No matter what it is, I will obey your orders without hesitation."
Kunyi was finally somewhat satisfied.
The itching in my palms subsided.
Considering he is still young...
Looking at Qingming, he said, "You should tidy up your clothes first."
She couldn't accept his disheveled appearance, with his hair in disarray and his clothes in disarray.
Qingming did indeed obey, casting a cleansing spell on himself and tidying up his clothes.
However, his hair ornament was tattered, and his long hair could only be gathered up with scraps of cloth torn from his clothes. This gave him a unique air of refined elegance and casual charm, like a dashing gentleman.
However, this clearly does not meet Kunyi's requirements.
She had been with Qingming for ten thousand years and always saw him as a man of impeccable manners and profound character, so she could not tolerate his lazy and unruly behavior.
A moment later, Qingming was seated on a smooth, large rock by the river, while Kunyi stood behind him, using her five fingers as a comb to braid his hair.
Qingming: "..."
The warm, smooth fingers ran through his hair, a gentle tickle that sent shivers down his scalp.
For some reason, a line of poetry came to mind: "Fingers comb slowly through the spring mist, half-tying up the breeze, half-tying up fate."①
Once his hair was braided and neatly tied in a half-updo, Qingming stood up, and Kunyi carefully adjusted his already tidy robes.
The two faced each other. Qingming lowered his eyes and saw jade-like fingers lightly pressing against his collar, the fingertips almost touching the side of his neck.
Qingming's entire body seemed to be electrified with lightning, and he felt a slight chill run down his spine.
He lowered his eyes slightly, looking at the dignified and beautiful features of the person who was slightly shorter than him.
I couldn't help but feel a little dazed; they looked like a couple who had been married for many years.
She could pretend that Qingming didn't understand, but she casually breathed into his mouth and then did his hair and clothes in this way.
Her intimate gestures seemed far too natural.
Even though she had a pure and virtuous appearance, Qingming couldn't help but wonder once again, "Fellow Daoist Kunyi... is she really not after his looks?"
①Spell randomly
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