Chapter 75 Return to the Ruins 3: Back to the Jade Cloud Sect
Qianqian turned to look at Fushuang, her eyes filled with a faint hope, "Senior, the master..."
"She is dead."
Xu Xing gazed at the peaceful and serene face in the coffin, and a strange emotion suddenly welled up in his heart. Was this Wei Shengyue, the ninth-level alchemy master? She looked so beautiful and powerful, as if she had just fallen into a deep sleep, but she had been gone for hundreds of years.
Despite Rong Jun's meticulous planning and even his willingness to use himself as bait, the Guixu Secret Realm, which she still failed to enter, turned out to be nothing more than a final resting place she had created for herself...
Chen Du said in a low voice, "Master, on the day we explored the Ruins Secret Realm, Senior Wei Sheng's remnant soul asked me to convey a message to you. She said 'I'm sorry.'"
Xu Xing quietly raised his eyes to look at his master, recalling the double sword technique carved on the mountain wall. Even with only a remnant soul remaining, he recognized his master's magic weapon at a glance... They must have been very good friends, right? But seeing Senior Wei Sheng's coffin, his master didn't seem sad at all? Why would Senior Wei Sheng still remember to apologize so many years after her death? What exactly happened back then?
Qianqian was also puzzled. Senior Fushuang knew so much about the Guixu Secret Realm, but the records left by the elders about the life of Master Weisheng did not mention anything about Senior Fushuang, as if she had never existed in Master Weisheng's life.
Fu Shuang stood silently before the coffin, the familiar palace layout sending her thoughts drifting back to many years ago…
She and Wei Shengyue grew up together and were very close friends. Back then, they lived in a palace deep in the forest. She practiced swordsmanship, and she refined elixirs. Time passed like flowing water as the two of them stayed together.
Unlike Wei Shengyue, who distinguished herself at a young age and quickly rose to fame in the demon realm, Fu Shuang remained unknown. Even though she possessed unparalleled swordsmanship talent, she was still not allowed to leave the palace. The magnificent palace was home to Wei Shengyue, but to Fu Shuang, it was more like a prison, and she constantly longed to escape.
But what followed was like a clichéd and uninteresting story.
...Wei Shengyue betrayed her.
When Fu Shuang had her eyes gouged out and was imprisoned in the blood pool, she pondered repeatedly why. Was it for Rong Jun? For becoming an immortal? Or for some other benefit?
But none of that matters now. Wei Shengyue is dead, and she has buried herself in the palace that once imprisoned Fu Shuang for half her life.
Compared to that perfunctory "I'm sorry," this was her true apology.
"Qianqian, what are your plans after obtaining the Flood Dragon Pearl?"
After a long while, Fu Shuang suddenly spoke.
"I want to bring the Jiao Clan home..." Qianqian said softly, "I know that many of my clansmen have done wrong, but many of them are innocent. They just want to live a good life, and so do I."
After Qianqian finished speaking, Fushuang reached out and brushed her hand over the crystal coffin. The next moment, Weishengyue's body and the coffin turned into a faint light and disappeared. In the end, only a dragon pearl emitting a faint light remained in the place.
"Lord Weisheng, rest assured, the Jiao Clan will surely return to their homeland!"
With tears in her eyes, Qianqian kowtowed three times. The dragon pearl seemed to be drawn by something and slowly floated to Qianqian's front. After she reached out and took it, everyone felt a tremor under their feet. Then, the palace turned to ashes. The birds with colorful feathers and everything else in the secret realm were maintained by the remaining spiritual power in Wei Shengyue's body. After she disappeared, they all turned to ashes.
It's snowing?
Xu Xing suddenly felt a chill on her face. Looking up, she saw tiny snowflakes falling through the now mostly dissipated dome. As she looked at the snowflakes on her fingertips, she suddenly felt that this might be her master's final farewell to Senior Wei Sheng...
"The secret realm has disappeared?"
Qianqian was bewildered. Wasn't it said that the Guixu Secret Realm contained the remains of Master Weisheng and the inheritance of alchemy techniques? She didn't covet these two opportunities. She was already very grateful for the chance to retrieve the Flood Dragon Pearl. But now she had successfully obtained the Flood Dragon Pearl, while Xu Xing had gained nothing. How could this be?
Facing Qianqian's apologetic gaze, Xu Xing didn't care. Senior Weisheng had not only given her the Medicine Valley, but also fed her high-level pills. She had already received more than enough.
However, since the Guixu Secret Realm never needed a key in the first place, why did Senior Weisheng leave her that snowflake crystal?
Thinking this, Xu Xing asked the question.
Fu Shuang said softly, "It's not a key. Aren't you curious why there are no relics of Wei Shengyue and alchemy inheritances in the Guixu Secret Realm? The answer is inside."
"!!"
Xu Xing was both surprised and delighted. It turned out that Senior Wei Sheng had already given him her burial place inside the Ruins of Exploration!
Xu Xing opened her backpack, looked at the crystal, thought for a moment, and released a wisp of spiritual energy into it. The next moment, her consciousness sank into a pure white space, and she was instantly attracted by countless treasures such as spirit stones, pills, and magical artifacts that shone with the aura of wealth.
On the central platform, a thick manual of alchemy lay on the ground, with a tiny seed floating on its open pages. This was Wei Shengyue's alchemy inheritance, containing not only Wei Shengyue's years of experience and alchemy secrets, but also, even if one could not become a new ninth-level alchemist after receiving this inheritance, becoming an eighth-level alchemist would be more than enough.
Xu Xing was momentarily stunned by the overwhelming wealth, but once she regained her senses, she looked at the book on alchemy and made a decision.
"What? You want to pass on your alchemy skills to me?! No way! How can this be!" Qianqian was shocked and repeatedly refused, "I'm not an alchemist, wouldn't it be a waste to give me this inheritance?"
Qianqian's expression was sincere, and she had no envy for Xu Xing obtaining the burial of the clan's elders. "Xu Xu, I know you don't covet these things, but you were chosen by Lord Weisheng, so there's no need to refuse."
Although Xu Xing had already considered Qianqian a friend, it wasn't out of kindness towards a friend. This inheritance was indeed useless to her and would only leave Senior Weisheng without a successor.
Her [Medical Skill] skill has reached level 47 after refining hundreds of Detoxification Pills. Her alchemy methods are completely different from those of alchemists in this world. As long as she continues to level up and has enough cultivation, making fifth-tier, sixth-tier, and even ninth-tier pills will not be difficult in the future.
Xu Xing said earnestly, "Qianqian, I did not act on impulse. You should also know that my alchemy techniques are somewhat different from other alchemists, and this inheritance is not suitable for me. Don't you want to revitalize the Jiao Clan? I believe you can definitely do it, so I hope you will leave this inheritance behind and find a suitable successor for Senior Weisheng."
Seeing her master's expression, Xu Xing knew that she didn't care about this inheritance either. So, she decided to hand it over to Qianqian, who was also a member of the Jiao clan like Wei Shengyue, according to her own thoughts.
Shen Du quietly watched Xu Xing from the side, her eyes filled with a tenderness that she herself did not realize. Only she could give up such an amazing inheritance without any hesitation.
"slowly……"
Qianqian's voice choked with emotion. Such a precious thing, if word got out, would be coveted by countless alchemists, yet Xu Xing gave it to her so easily.
She solemnly said, "Rest assured, I will do my best to live up to your trust and not disappoint Senior Weisheng."
How easy is it for a race to revitalize itself? Xu Xing gently hugged Qianqian, quietly took out one-third of the resources from the snowflake crystal, put them into the magic artifact containing the inheritance, and gave them to Qianqian. However, she concealed them slightly so that Qianqian would not discover them too soon.
Getting up from Xu Xing's embrace, Qianqian sniffed and took out a strangely shaped black bell, handing it to her. "This is something left on me by the elders of the Jiaolong clan when they left the demon realm. I haven't discovered its use over the years, but I know it's made of very rare materials and should be a high-level magic artifact. I'm giving it to you; you might need it in the future."
Xu Xing had given her such a precious inheritance, yet she had only given him a bell of unknown use. Qianqian was initially a little embarrassed, but seeing Xu Xing accept it with a smile, without any resentment, she felt a warmth in her heart. It was her good fortune to have a friend like Xu Xing.
Xu Xing noticed the mysterious and intricate patterns carved on the bell, clearly indicating it was no ordinary object. Curious, she shook it, but it made no sound. She couldn't recognize it. Fu Shuang, standing beside her, raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. This little dragon actually possessed the Demon-Eating Bell?
I never expected this thing to end up in Xu Xing's hands. Could it be that everything was truly preordained...?
As snowflakes fell, the Guixu Secret Realm vanished completely. The palace gates exposed to the outside world dissolved like bubbles, leaving no trace. The once high-ranking ninth-level alchemy master also became a thing of the past.
"We're out? I didn't expect it to be so fast."
Xu Xing recalled how, before entering the vortex, everyone had fought desperately under immense pressure, only to fail to even reach the edge of the secret realm. This opportunity, which had shaken the demon realm for months, seemed like an absurd farce. She was quite moved; was this something Wei Shengyue had arranged all along?
The ice wall that Fu Shuang had casually created earlier suddenly melted, revealing the huge and ferocious headless and bodyless corpse of the Thunder-headed Dragon behind the wall.
When Xu Xing looked up, he met a pair of huge, unseeing eyes. He was startled to find that the massive head had been severed cleanly from the neck. The thick layer of frost on the wound indicated that it had been beheaded by his master.
The cultivators who had been blocking the palace gates retreated several miles away. Although many cultivators who were still unwilling to give up watched silently, none of them dared to approach. No one dared to touch the corpse of the Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon, which was full of treasures.
Qianqian's gaze grew increasingly respectful. They had only been in the Guixu Secret Realm for a short time, and Senior Fushuang had already dealt with the Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon. Such formidable cultivation was likely unmatched in the world. But how could such a powerful figure have left no record of anything?
Xu Xing asked curiously, "Master, did you also eliminate the master of this Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon?"
Fu Shuang shook her head. "They ran away."
That old thing abandoned the Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon, whose life was intertwined with its own, and severed its tail to survive. Although its life was not in danger, it was severely weakened. After this battle, it would probably be able to live a hundred years more peacefully. Fu Shuang did not eliminate the threat completely because she wanted to let the person behind the scenes know that even after years of seclusion, her sword was still sharp.
The armor plates and claws of demonic beasts are all valuable items, let alone this high-level Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon. Xu Xing was somewhat envious of its gleaming scales and, after obtaining his master's permission, planned to take some of them for later use in weapon crafting.
When Shen Du took advantage of her intention, he readily drew his sword and stepped forward to peel off her scales. A majestic and awe-inspiring demonic dragon lost its entire body in the hands of a Golden Core cultivator.
The appearance of the Jiao clan and the Thunder-Headed Jiao was somewhat similar. Qianqian was horrified and quickly looked away, not daring to look at the bloody scene any longer.
"Heavens, what is this female cultivator's identity? Is the Guixu Secret Realm actually hers? She must be the master of this secret realm. I really can't think of any other reason."
"Why don't you go and ask?"
"Nonsense! How could I dare! But they seem to be leaving, and there's still quite a bit of that monster's body left. Why don't we..."
The cultivator had barely started when a group of other cultivators rushed over. They had been guarding the entrance to the Guixu Secret Realm for so long without even getting a taste of the spoils, but they were bound to get something of value, right? The Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon was an excellent material for refining weapons and could fetch a good price in spirit stones.
And so, after Fu Shuang led Xu Xing and the others away, the Thunder-Headed Flood Dragon, which had been baring its fangs and claws not long ago, was skinned and dismembered by the swarming cultivators, leaving not a single piece of flesh behind...
After the matter of the Guixu Secret Realm was concluded, Xu Xing, Chen Du and the disciples of Lanze Island bid farewell. Yunxi also knew that Xu Xing would not return to the Snake Clan for the time being. She did not stop him, perhaps because the Snake King had given some instructions. She let Xu Xing return to the Yuxiao Sect with Fu Shuang.
Yunlan watched the three figures disappear into the distance, feeling quite frustrated. "Boss, are we just going to watch His Highness leave like this?"
Yunxi said calmly, "The capital has given the order, what can I do?"
Thinking of His Highness's strange golden eyes, Yunxi vaguely realized something. His Highness's identity was probably not so simple. Perhaps, at this time, leaving the demon realm and growing up under Fushuang's protection was the best choice for her...
After only a few months away, Xu Xing stood on Xuanjian Peak again, feeling as if he had been in another world.
She released several pet beasts, and the three contracted beasts immediately took off running. Even Yin Xue showed obvious joy, pacing around the peach grove with her head held high.
After thinking it over, Xu Xing brought Nan Ye along as well. After all, he wasn't entirely a beastman, and she couldn't keep treating him like a contracted beast.
Xu Xing wanted to help Nan Ye, who was clearly not used to living as a "human," get used to it as soon as possible, so he looked at Chen Du and asked, "Senior brother, is it okay if Nan Ye works with Brother Kang Cheng at Xuanjian Peak from now on?"
Previously, Kang Cheng had to travel back and forth between the Martial Arts Academy and Xuanjian Peak every day, which was quite inconvenient. In the future, when she and her senior brother go to their master's spirit peak, they can ask him to move over...
Shen Du readily agreed. The matter that had been weighing on his mind since he became a disciple finally came to the forefront, and he asked, "From now on... will you be living at Master's Frost Peak?"
Xu Xing glanced at her alchemy room and weapon-forging room, feeling quite reluctant to leave. However, her master had always been alone, and since she and her senior brother had become her disciples, they should keep her company. She hesitated for a moment.
Suddenly, a gust of wind reached his ears, and Xu Xing's feet trembled slightly. He saw that Xuanjian Peak had risen from the ground and moved rapidly through the clouds along with the surrounding sea of clouds, changing its position in the blink of an eye.
After landing steadily on Xuanjian Peak, the two saw that the surrounding scenery was completely different. The spiritual energy that rushed towards them was several times stronger than before. The rocks on the mountain moved in response and quickly assembled in front of the mountain gate to form a high bridge that was large enough for three or four people to pass side by side. At the other end of the bridge was an unfamiliar and majestic spiritual peak, much larger than Xuanjian Peak. The spiritual peak was shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland.
Upon seeing the mist, Xu Xing immediately guessed that it was his master's doing. Sure enough, the next moment he saw Fu Shuang walking slowly from the other side of the bridge.
"From now on, Xuanjian Peak and Lishuang Peak will be connected, and you can come to find me at any time."
"Senior brother! That's great! We don't have to move!" Xu Xing's eyes lit up immediately. He stepped forward and affectionately took Fu Shuang's arm, saying happily, "Thank you, Master!"
Upon hearing the word "we," Shen Du felt a warmth in his heart, realizing that he had never been excluded by Xu Xing...
“Chen Du, your cultivation has reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, but it still needs refinement. During this period, you should practice your sword every day at Frost Peak and not slack off.”
"yes."
Xu Xing swallowed hard. Was she going to have to get up early every day to practice swordsmanship like her senior brother?
"As for you..." Fu Shuang turned to Xu Xing, "First, learn the Five Elements techniques from me. Since you are to cultivate all five elements, you cannot be too biased towards the fire element."
Xu Xing was both relieved that she didn't have to get up early to practice swordsmanship and a little guilty. She hadn't actually learned much fire magic, but because she had done a lot of alchemy and weapon crafting, she was naturally more proficient in controlling spiritual fire than the other four elements.
The fact that Xuanjian Peak moved hundreds of miles in just a few breaths also attracted the attention of some cultivators from the Yuxiao Sect.
“Master, Shen Du has returned, but…” Jiang Feichen’s eldest disciple hesitated.
Jiang Feichen said impatiently, "Speak quickly if you have something to say."
"However, Xuanjian Peak has suddenly moved into the inner sect's territory, as if an inner sect senior has made a move. Perhaps..." The eldest disciple cautiously glanced at Jiang Feichen's expression, then mustered his courage, "Perhaps Shen Du has already become a disciple of one of the inner sect's peak masters..."
"Good! Very good!" Jiang Feichen's face darkened as he slammed his palm down, shattering the armrest of his chair. "I'd like to see who dares to snatch the disciple I, Jiang Feichen, have chosen!"
Meanwhile, in the Thousand Machines Academy, on the huge map in the main hall depicting the locations of the various spiritual peaks of the Jade Cloud Sect's inner and outer sects, the name of a spiritual peak quietly appeared in a corner of the inner sect, and the inconspicuous Xuanjian Peak of the outer sect was also moved next to this spiritual peak.
"Li Shuang Peak? What kind of peak is this? I haven't heard of any inner sect seniors acquiring a new spiritual peak. And its location is in the place with the most abundant spiritual energy."
“I do know about Xuanjian Peak. It’s the peak where that newly promoted Golden Core sword cultivator who attracted the Heavenly Thunder of the Nine Heavens resides.”
"Go and report to the dean immediately!"
“There’s no need to make a fuss,” Ran Yue, the dean of the Thousand Machines Academy, strode into the main hall. “There has always been Li Shuangfeng in the inner sect, but for some reason he has never shown himself to anyone.”
Ran Yue raised his hand and waved his hand. The name of Li Shuang Peak appeared on the jade tablets of the disciples of the inner sect hanging on the wall. Two brand-new jade tablets engraved with the names "Chen Du" and "Xu Xing" were also hung under Li Shuang Peak. However, the name of the peak master was not displayed like the other peak masters.
"Dean, who is the peak master of Frost Peak?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask! Remember, from now on, all the allowances for the disciples of Frost Peak will be based on the highest standards for inner disciples. Also, send someone to make up for all the allowances that the Frost Peak Master didn't receive in previous years."
"Dean, how many years of make-up classes will it take?"
Ran Yue closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, saying, "Two hundred years."
"..."
Two hundred years?!
Yuan Chengzhou, the vice dean in charge of all the sect's expenditures, had just walked over when he heard this. His vision went black. This Frost Peak had never appeared before, which meant that it had not made any contribution to the Jade Cloud Sect, yet it was suddenly required to make up for two hundred years of the sect's share. It was simply absurd!
No matter how much Yuan Chengzhou felt sorry for Ran Yue, he didn't dare to refute her words. He had no choice but to accept it reluctantly. In his heart, he decided to personally go to Li Shuang Peak to deliver the allowance. He wanted to see who this mysterious peak master was!
Xu Xing hadn't told Wen Yao, Zhao Linglan, and the others about his return. Thinking that Aunt Lian should be at her little shop, Xu Xing changed into a less conspicuous robe and strolled alone to Liujin Street.
The last shop, which sells "everything," is now packed with people every day. Even though it has been open for half a day instead of half a day, it is now only open for half an hour a day. Cultivators are still scrambling to buy pills. It has even developed into an industry chain where cultivators who manage to buy pills resell them at high prices. However, the number sold each day is so small that they are now almost impossible to buy on the resale market.
With the shop's inventory running out, Tong Yuanbai and Wang Lianhua were overwhelmed with worry every day, but Xu Xing hadn't returned yet, and there was nothing they could do. In the months Xu Xing had been away, some cultivators, relying on their backgrounds, had tried to take action against the shop, but fortunately, Senior Feng and Senior Wen from Qingling Peak secretly protected it, so there hadn't been any major trouble.
But now that she could count the remaining pills on one hand, Wang Lianhua gritted her teeth and decided to close the shop.
"What? Close the store?! I disagree!" Shu Wenshi was the first to object.
"To be honest, we're out of stock. There's nothing to sell in this shop, so we might as well close down for now." Tong Yuanbai agreed with Wang Lianhua's decision. He knew that Wang Lianhua was the actual manager of the shop, so he usually regarded her as the leader. Even though she was just a Qi Refining cultivator, he never looked down on her. He was always polite to her and would often discuss cultivation with her.
Because Tong Yuanbai was honest and meticulous, the two got along very well, but Shu Wenshi, who worked in the same shop, did not.
"Yuan Bai, you have no idea how well our pills are selling! Even the inner disciples are asking me about them! It's the peak season, we absolutely can't close! We'll keep the store open as usual, and when customers come in, just tell them we're sold out. That's how we maintain the hype and keep everyone interested!"
Shu Wenshi couldn't understand why Tong Yuanbai, who was a veteran who followed that alchemist, listened to Wang Lianhua everywhere.
Wang Lianhua frowned. "Isn't this deceiving people? Honesty is paramount in business, and besides, we don't lack customers, so why do this?"
"What do you know?!" Shu Wenshi's tone was contemptuous. He had already found out that this Wang Lianhua came from a small village and had four spiritual roots. She had no background and was just lucky to be chosen by the shop owner.
The shop is doing so well right now, it's time to manage it well. When that alchemist returns and discovers his talent for running the shop, he will definitely promote him. Then he will no longer have to put up with the attitudes of these two people who are inferior to him in every way.
As Shu Wenshi spoke with great enthusiasm for the future, he acted as if he were the manager, unaware that Wang Lianhua and Tong Yuanbai's eyes had simultaneously turned cold.
The two stopped arguing with Shu Wenshi and decided to temporarily close their shop for the day. As soon as they opened the shop door to announce the news, the cultivators waiting outside immediately rushed up to them.
"It's been almost half a year! Has Master Cha still not returned?"
"Manager Tong, they only sell a few bottles of pills a day, it's impossible to get any!"
"That's right! When exactly is Master Cha coming back? Give me a straight answer!"
"?" Xu Xing, who was mixed in with the crowd, blinked blankly. What Master Cha?
...Could it be her?
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Author's note: Xu Xu: Come on, repeat after me, Ex!
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Thank you to Pu Xiaoqi, Ruby_, Sleep a Little Longer, Icher, Yan Jia Xiaoqi, Changchun, Silver Lord, Qingyan, Too Many Bugs, Jade Ball's Knife, Anonymous, Lychee Without Peel, Weiyan, and Ling Shaoning for the nutrient solution! [Heart]
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