Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Three years later.
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but red earth and yellow sand. Several dust devils spiraled up, lifting sand and gravel, while the roars of beasts echoed from time to time. In the distance, there were also massive dark shadows.
“Further ahead is the Yeguo Desert. There are many beasts here, Junior Brother, stay close to me,” Han Yue said.
“Yes!” Xu Xiaofei replied.
In these three years, he had gradually become capable of handling things on his own, but in the eyes of his Senior Brother, he seemed to always be a Junior Brother who needed looking after.
After flying for half an hour over the yellow sand and slaying several beasts that attacked them, they entered a vast shadow where even the hot air felt cooler. Looking up, Xu Xiaofei saw a giant tree rising from the gravel, towering at least a hundred feet high. Its branches and leaves spread out like a canopy, covering most of the sky. The branches and leaves were not green but revealed a pitch-black hue.
This black giant tree bore scattered fruits. The colors of the fruits were vibrant—crimson, bright yellow, and some were bluish-green, dotting the dense foliage.
“Senior Brother, is this the Yeguo Immortal Tree?” Xu Xiaofei asked.
“Indeed,” Han Yue replied, also gazing at the giant tree. “It is also the origin of this desert's name. The Yeguo Immortal Tree bears fruit every three to five hundred years. Any living soul that dies in this desert will have their soul absorbed by the yellow sand and captured by this tree, transforming into fruit on its branches. The good will bear Crimson Evil Fruit, the wicked will bear Azure Green Good Fruit, and beasts without intelligence will bear Fresh Yellow Chaos Fruit. Only when the fruits ripen and fall from the branches can these trapped souls re-enter reincarnation.”
“I really wonder what these fruits taste like…” Xu Xiaofei mused.
Han Yue glanced at him and smiled, “When the time comes, there will surely be your share.”
They had come to attend the Fruit Appreciation Conference.
Every time the Yeguo Immortal Tree bore fruit, the Righteous Path would organize this long-standing conference as per tradition. All fruits produced by the tree would be collected to rescue those souls trapped within it. Of course, this reason was also to make it sound better; in reality, Azure Green Good Fruit could nourish Flesh, Crimson Evil Fruit, though poisonous, could be used for Alchemy, while Fresh Yellow Chaos Fruit could enhance cultivation foundations—each type of fruit was quite useful.
Especially the Azure Green Good Fruit that nourished Flesh… Xu Xiaofei thought to himself that Spirit Sword Destiny would surely not miss out on this opportunity.
Although this was a grand event for the Righteous Path, he would definitely be present as well.
In the meantime, the two flew to a bustling location, which was the venue for the Fruit Appreciation Conference. The once desolate sandy area was now scattered with low tents and thatched huts, and some prominent clans and sects had set up houses resembling residences using special magical artifacts.
The Fruit Appreciation Conference had not yet begun; the fruits might still need another hour or two to ripen.
A few Dun Guang approached, checking their tokens. This area had set up a barrier, allowing only invited individuals to enter. Han Yue had already made quite a name for himself outside, and these people recognized him. After a brief inspection, they started to chat amicably. Han Yue naturally introduced his junior brother, Xu Xiaofei, to everyone.
After a moment, those individuals went to greet the arriving guests, while the two from Xiaoyao Sect landed on the ground and chose an open space. They activated the magical artifact granted by their sect, and a house made of tightly packed green bamboo with a roof covered in entwined vines appeared before them.
Xu Xiaofei exchanged greetings with his senior brother and then wandered around the vicinity. He greeted various friends he encountered along the way. His connections were not as extensive as Han Yue's, but he still had quite a few friends. Some of them immediately invited him to join them for drinks in the evening, and Xu Xiaofei agreed.
It seemed he was not involved with Spirit Sword Destiny...
While Xu Xiaofei cheerfully greeted others, he quietly observed. Over the past three years, he was no longer under the suppression of the Jade Pendant left by Spirit Sword Destiny; his cultivation had advanced significantly, his swordsmanship had improved, and even his ability to find people had unknowingly progressed a great deal.
Who could blame Spirit Sword Destiny for constantly changing identities that made it hard for him to recognize?
After wandering around for a while, Xu Xiaofei returned to the bamboo house and found his senior brother, expressing his desire to go out again.
Han Yue disapproved slightly and said, "This place is dangerous; you shouldn't wander too far!" Xu Xiaofei was no longer a child; in recent days, he had independently completed many challenging tasks assigned by their sect, so Han Yue felt it inappropriate to impose restrictions on him as an elder brother.
"Don't worry about me, Senior Brother!" Xu Xiaofei replied obediently.
He activated Spatial Technique and moved like lightning. After a short incense stick's time, all he could see around him was endless yellow sand. He released his Divine Consciousness and discreetly scanned the surroundings. Confirming that no one was nearby, he began to chant incantations and used hand seals to invoke a Curse.
From his vast Qi Sea in the Dantian, he separated a slender stream of spiritual power that flowed along the Void String. In an instant, he sensed that person's aura.
Soon enough, he connected with it; it seemed Spirit Sword Destiny was indeed not far from him and was also within this Yeguo Desert.
Before using this Curse, one must plant a mark in the Divine Consciousness of both individuals, and it must also be permitted by Spirit Sword Destiny. When Xu Xiaofei first proposed this requirement, he was outright rejected, yet in the end, the mark for this communication technique was still planted.
"Are you here?" Xu Xiaofei asked through this connection, using his mind to communicate.
He knew his voice would resonate in the heart of Spirit Sword Destiny from afar.
Soon, a cold voice replied, "No."
Xu Xiaofei laughed and said, "I don't believe you."
"Then why did you ask?" the other party responded.
Xu Xiaofei couldn't help but laugh again. Then, with a more serious tone, he said, "You need to be careful; there are many from the Righteous Path."
"I know," Spirit Sword Destiny casually replied, then suddenly added, "Have you left the Orthodox Camp? Head northwest and look around the first cluster of Sea Buckthorn you see; there is an opportunity for you."
Huh?
Xu Xiaofei was about to ask if he had set another trap for him, but the other party had already decisively severed their connection. The other end of the Void String fell into silence.
...Forget it, I'll go take a look. Xu Xiaofei always had a strong curiosity, especially regarding Spirit Sword Destiny's suggestion. If he didn't go, he would surely be restless.
He checked his direction and flew northwest. Before long, a cluster of orange-red Sea Buckthorn appeared in his Divine Consciousness.
He stopped and turned to look around, trying to see where his opportunity lay.
Oh—
A thread of extreme danger suddenly fell into his perception! He turned around and saw a massive Demon Lizard chasing a girl clad in pink, charging straight toward him. The girl stumbled as she ran, and just before the Demon Lizard could bite her, a green light flashed beneath her feet, propelling her forward, and she collapsed in front of Xu Xiaofei. Xu Xiaofei stepped forward, shielding her behind him.
The gaping maw of the Demon Lizard was instantly before him, and he could immediately smell the stench of blood from its mouth. The oppressive aura of this beast was clearly not low in rank!
He took a light breath, and sword light began to gather in his palm.
It was not just the pure sword energy from before; bright blue lightning now surrounded the sword body, amplifying the power of this sword energy by more than three times. The light of the thunder illuminated his calm and composed brows.
His rapid growth had already shocked many.
His thoughts were focused as he urged the sword technique. As he wielded the sword, it stirred up booming winds and thunder, as if he borrowed the might of the earth into his blade.
After several rounds of entanglement with the Demon Lizard, he managed to slay it.
Xu Xiaofei had only sustained minor injuries. Just as he was about to perform a simple healing technique on himself, a wave of spiritual energy rippled through the nearby air, and a figure coalesced into form—it was the Left Guardian of the Evil Sect, Spirit Sword Destiny. He was enveloped in a layer of hazy water light, clearly just a Water Clone, with his true self elsewhere.
Xu Xiaofei immediately noticed and turned to him with a smile, saying, “What brings you here? You didn’t arrange to meet me here on purpose, did you?”
He no longer cared about the recent battle.
Spirit Sword Destiny glanced at him indifferently and replied, “I came to see if you were dead.”
“Dead?” Xu Xiaofei said, “It’s not that easy; you think too highly of me!” He understood that Spirit Sword Destiny was concerned for him but wouldn’t admit it directly; he felt a hint of warmth rising in his heart.
He smiled again and asked, “Did you take the spiritual herbs and elixirs I brought you last time? How effective were they?”
Over the past three years, he had been searching for elixirs. All kinds of immortal materials obtained from various opportunities had been given to Spirit Sword Destiny. Half was to share the burden with Spirit Sword Destiny; the other half was genuinely for this gravely ill leader of the Evil Sect… He wanted to save Shen Jinglan and did not wish for this person to die.
"Eat it. Probably... it's better than not eating at all."
Mentioning Shen Jinglan, his voice fell low, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
Xu Xiaofei's heart also sank as he asked, "How is the leader doing?"
Spirit Sword Destiny was silent for a moment, then uttered four words: "Getting worse every day."
Xu Xiaofei was stunned, his heart trembling. He had anticipated this situation, but what shocked him was that the usually resolute and decisive Spirit Sword Destiny revealed a hint of despair in his tone.
Perhaps this wasn't the first time Spirit Sword Destiny felt downcast, but he had always maintained composure and confidence in front of him. How severe must the situation be for him to show signs of wavering?
Spirit Sword Destiny had already disappeared.
"He..." Xu Xiaofei saw him leave and could only swallow back the words he wanted to say. His bright eyes were filled with concern.
He was thinking about Shen Jinglan. Over the past three years, he had met with Spirit Sword Destiny privately a few times, but he hadn't seen the enigmatic leader of the Evil Sect for a long time. Ever since Shen Jinglan returned to Youzhou, he had been living in seclusion at the main hall and had not set foot in Central Continent again. Naturally, the Youzhou main hall was not a place he could visit with his current identity as part of the Righteous Path.
He still remembered when he asked Spirit Sword Destiny about Shen Jinglan's recent situation. Spirit Sword Destiny had looked at him with clear eyes and said, "The leader? You're not one of my sect; what right do you have to call him that?"
He asked, "Then what should I call him?"
Spirit Sword Destiny replied, "You should call him 'the Demon Head,' just like those Daoists."
He couldn't help but laugh.
Of course, he never changed how he addressed Shen Jinglan afterward. It seemed Spirit Sword Destiny had gotten used to it and no longer corrected him.
At that time, there was still a mood to smile at him; it seemed to have gradually changed.
The long-unseen Shen Jinglan... had he also changed a lot?
Sigh, Xu Xiaofei thought to himself. Over the past three years, he had done quite a bit for the Xiaoyao Sect, and the useless magical artifacts he had obtained from his adventures had all been turned over to the sect. He had intended to secure first place for the Xiaoyao Sect in the next Huashan Conference before leaving, but now it seemed he could not wait that long.
With a heavy heart, he turned to leave, but felt a tug at the corner of his robe, as if someone was pulling him. Looking back, he remembered that he had just saved a girl.
The girl had a round face and round eyes. When she saw him looking, her bright eyes sparkled. She emitted a faint aura of demonic energy, indicating she was likely not human and her cultivation level was low, yet Xu Xiaofei could not discern her true form. She held onto Xu Xiaofei's clothing tightly, gazing up at him with anticipation.
"Do you want to follow me?" Xu Xiaofei asked.
The girl nodded.
"How about I take you back to your parents?"
The girl shook her head.
"Do you remember where your home is?"
She shook her head again.
Before being rescued by Xu Xiaofei, she had sustained some injuries. As he asked her questions, he provided her with some basic treatment. For the lingering injuries that he could not heal, he took out a jade bottle from his Cosmic Bag and poured out a fragrant pill. He squatted down and offered it to the girl.
The girl blinked her eyes, as if seeing a pill for the first time; she looked curious but hesitant to eat it. Xu Xiaofei softened his voice and coaxed her, "Go ahead, it's sweet." With his encouragement, the girl indeed took the pill and put it in her mouth. After swallowing it, her eyes brightened even more as she smiled sweetly at him.
This was not Elder Yang Zhen's specially concocted "Duck Transformation" healing pill but rather an authentic Nine Flower Jade Dew Pill, which tasted quite good.
Xu Xiaofei thought she should be fine now and felt relieved.
However, he soon had a bit of a headache... He flew away, but the girl kept closely following him, looking like she intended to stick with him for a while.
"Junior Brother, you're back?" In front of the bamboo house of Xiaoyao Sect, Han Yue spotted him at a glance.
Xu Xiaofei guessed what he was thinking; it hadn't been long since he returned, and the little rascal was about right.
"Yeah, I really just went out for a stroll nearby!" Xu Xiaofei replied with a smile.
"This girl," Han Yue inquired after a brief examination, "is she your newly acquired Spirit Pet?"
The girl was looking up at him with her face tilted. Han Yue maintained a serious expression and didn't scare her off. He gestured with both hands in an arc near his mouth and smiled.
It seemed like he was teaching him how to smile.
"Yes, I saved her from a Demon Lizard, and now she insists on following me. If I don't take her as a Spirit Pet, I'm afraid she might be harmed by others here..." Xu Xiaofei explained. He didn't indiscriminately kill beasts; he would let those that posed no threat go free unless they were ferocious and intent on making him their next meal. However, in the cultivation world, regardless of good or evil, many believed that demon creatures were not of their kind and could be killed on sight.
The girl's sweet smile and the gestures she made brought a hint of amusement to Han Yue's face.
He looked at her a few more times and said, "However, I can't see her true form."
"You can't see it either, Senior Brother? I can't see it either," Xu Xiaofei replied. This demon girl might have a very mysterious background. However, since the spiritual contract had already been formed and she became his Spirit Pet, there was no need to worry too much.
One reason he took this girl as a Spirit Pet was also for the sake of the local Righteous Path, just in case she was a hidden powerhouse lurking around.
That evening, Xu Xiaofei went to find his friends. They had gathered around a bonfire in one corner of the venue, roasting meat from their hunt.
"Who gave birth to this child?" "Why did you bring your family along?" Seeing Xu Xiaofei with a burden, everyone couldn't help but laugh at him.
Xu Xiaofei was also quite helpless. This unknown creature, although it had taken on a human form, was still confused and had the mentality of a child. As soon as it heard that it had to stay in the Spirit Pet's residence, the Liuli Pearl, it immediately teared up. Since there was no need for battle at the moment and no immediate danger, he decided to let it be.
After sitting down, everyone chatted, ate meat, and drank wine, enjoying themselves.
Some even wanted to feed the girl alcohol, but Xu Xiaofei stopped them one by one.
Two days later, from a distance, most of the fruits on the Yeguo Immortal Tree had ripened.
The ground trembled as a group of turtles emerged from beneath the sand, blocking the way ahead. The largest among them was as big as a hill; this was the Xuan Gui that guarded the fruits. If anyone approached the immortal tree, it would spit fire to drive them away.
According to past customs, all the turtles had to be killed before they could take the fruits.
The Xuan Gui had tough skin and strong demonic power, with remarkable recovery abilities; they could only rely on attrition through a wheel battle. The Righteous Path had naturally made arrangements for this; everyone took turns to fight, with Xiaoyao Sect being the first batch.
Han Yue instructed, "Junior brother, be careful!"
Xu Xiaofei nodded and was about to fly forward when he felt a weight in his sleeve. The girl he had forcibly locked inside the Liuli Pearl had come out again and was tugging at his sleeve.
In the next moment, everyone heard a piercing scream.
A cultivator flying at the front suddenly ignited in black flames and plummeted from mid-air. The person behind him quickly unleashed a frost-like water energy towards him, but it was completely ineffective. They watched in horror as he turned to ash. In an instant, even he was caught in the black flames. In panic, he struck his burning arm with his other hand and retreated swiftly. A section of his arm and half of his sleeve fell away, turning to ashes in mid-air.
The ground shook violently with a booming sound.
It was as if the entire desert had become a giant ship on the verge of capsizing!
Beneath the sand layer, an enormous object emerged, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a Giant Turtle that had lived for an unknown number of years. The towering Yeguo Immortal Tree, standing a hundred feet high, was rooted in its azure shell. Amidst the violent upheaval, countless karmic fruits of good, evil, and chaos from the immortal tree fell from its branches like a torrential rain into the yellow sand. Those from the Righteous Path could only feel Heart Palpitations, and perhaps even extreme heartache; as usual, once the karmic fruits hit the ground, they would vanish without a trace!
The Giant Turtle's demonic eyes scanned the remaining people, spewing forth black flames.
"Senior Brother!" Xu Xiaofei, blocked by a girl, fell behind but was temporarily unharmed. He hurriedly called out to Han Yue ahead.
Fortunately, Han Yue was quick to react; she turned her body and immediately returned.
Xu Xiaofei also retreated. While backing away, he formed hand seals, causing sword energy to suddenly split into two illusory sword shadows that flew forward like lightning, approaching the Yeguo Immortal Tree to seize the karmic fruits falling like rain.
"What are you doing? Stop messing around!" Han Yue, who had retreated to his side, scolded him.
Such audacity!
One of the sword shadows successfully returned after collecting several karmic fruits, while the other was engulfed by black flames. The backlash hit him; Xu Xiaofei felt a sweetness in his throat but managed to suppress it.
Xuan Gui continued to close in on everyone; with each step it took, the ground trembled.
It wasn't moving quickly, but everyone's escape speed had significantly slowed down. Clearly, the Yeguo Desert had laid down its escape prohibitions within this Sound Wave Domain.
Suddenly, Xu Xiaofei sensed something was wrong; the hand that had been gripping his clothing had unknowingly loosened. Looking down, he saw that where the lovely girl had been standing now bloomed a delicate flower bud. Just as he caught sight of it, the closed bud suddenly opened wide and "gulped," swallowing him whole.
Comment 0 Comment Count