Chapter 111: The Truth behind the World Annihilation
"You're the immortal soul in the ancient immortal residence?" Yi Qing paused. He finally understood what he meant. He scanned him from head to toe and asked, "Aren't you Bitao?"
"You remember?" Luan Xu excitedly nodded. "Yes, yes, yes, I'm that remnant soul. Bitao was my original name. I came down to this Lower Realm to look for you, Great Immortal." Ever since he got his body back, he had been thinking about coming to the Azure World to look for Shen Ying. Now, he finally… finally found her. Luan Xu - no, Bitao - suddenly felt a great urge to burst into tears. "You have no idea how hard I tried to…"
He wriggled his nose and subconsciously moved to cling onto Shen Ying's legs. Just as he reached out, he was stopped by a green flash. A green leaf stuck out from Shen Ying's legs and flew toward his face aggressively, hitting it with a clap.
A vegetation spirit in the form of a radish flew out from an opening in the seams of Shen Ying's clothes and bore its sharp teeth at Bitao. "Ji!" Get lost! Don't even try to steal this leg from me!
Bitao: "…"
"Enough!" Shen Ying reached out to hold the radish back. She finally remembered who Floaty was. Stepping forward, she said, "Floaty, explain. What's going on? How many of you are there?"
Bitao suddenly remembered the serious matter at hand, "Great Immortal, there are fifteen of us here this time. Ten of us are Mystic Immortals and five are Golden Immortals. The others are at different parts of the Azure World, in the southeast region. We have to hurry. Apart from you, nobody in the Azure World is their match. Especially not when the east has…"
"Seven people?" Shen Ying suddenly interrupted.
"Eh?" Bitao paused. "How do you know?"
"Oh, I came from the masochist's house," she answered calmly. "I'm done there." "…" Done? That's really fast! We have only been here for an hour and they're already destroyed? It looks like he had made the right choice in the beginning. But what exactly is a maso… chist?
"Oh yes, what is the Day of Re-Harvest?" Shen Ying suddenly asked.
Bitao was astonished. "You know about the Day of Re- Harvest!"
She nodded, "Why do they want to annihilate the world?"
By the time she finished speaking, all of the members of the Xuan Yuan family had gathered around to listen to Bitao. It was all very strange indeed. From the way the immortals spoke and acted earlier, it was obvious that they could not care less about the Lower Realm. Why did they spend all that effort to go there and annihilate everyone? Why would they go to such lengths to destroy even the Qi Refinement children? Their nonchalant attitude and cruel ways made them… far worse than fiendish cultivators. Bitao's face turned pale. As if he had thought of something, his hands clenched into fists and fell silent. Then, he sighed and finally plucked up the courage to answer her.
"The Abode Master of the Qing Tong Immortal Abode in the Upper Realm will conduct a great purge in the Three Azure Realms once every hundred thousand years. They send all living creatures to Samsara to cleanse and renew the world. The day of this great purge is called the Day of Re-Harvest. This is the Abode Master's 13th time conducting the great purge ever since he created this world.
"You've annihilated the world 13 times!" Everyone gasped in unison, feeling both appalled and furious. Yi Qing stepped forward. "Why would he do that? These are living creatures we're talking about!" Do mortals count for nothing in his eyes?
"Because the Abode Master… is the owner of this world," Bitao lowered his gaze. "The Three Azure Realms belong to the Abode Master - they are a mystic realm created using his meridian. As the creator of this world, the Abode Master can do whatever he wants to it."
"Ridiculous! If he only meant to create a mystic realm why did he introduce hundreds of thousands of living creatures into this world in the first place?" Yi Qing pressed further. This immortal had annihilated the world time and time again. He had the ability to create mystic realms, but he could not create living creatures - these could only be created by the Great Dao. In the end, all these living creatures were meant to go through rebirth in the Three Azure Realms.
Bitao frowned deeply and clenched his fists even tighter, "That's because…"
"Because of the meridian," Shen Ying suddenly interrupted.
Bitao was taken aback. He turned to her with widened eyes, "You know about this?"
"I guessed," Shen Ying furrowed her brows. "That Abode Master - he did not use his immortal meridian to create this world. He created this world because of the immortal meridian, right?"
"That's right," Bitao nodded. "The immortal meridian is hard to find and is one of the treasures of the immortal world. One need only possess an immortal meridian to ascend to immortality and become second only to the Young Emperor. Yet… the immortal meridian that the Abode Master obtained was deformed. It benefited his cultivation, but it did not help him to progress significantly. He had no choice but to nurture this immortal meridian."
He paused before he continued, "But the immortal meridian is formed by the condensation of Immortal Qi. The Immortal Qi in the Qing Tong Immortal Abode was only enough for normal training by immortals. It was simply not thick enough to nurture the immortal meridian, unless… the Abode Master could find Immortal Qi from somewhere else."
"He borrows the Qi from cultivators in the lower realm," Shen Ying continued.
"Yes!" Bitao sucked in a deep breath and scanned the crowd. "The Abode Master created the Azure World atop his immortal meridian and introduced hundreds of thousands of living
creatures into the world, so that the living creatures would absorb the Spirit Qi from the Heavens and the Earth to improve their cultivations. Once they die, the Qi would naturally feed back into the immortal meridian."
"But… the immortal meridian is formed by Immortal Qi, right?" Xuan Yuanyu could not help but ask. "Spirit Qi simply does not match up to Immortal Qi."
"You're right, it does not," Bitao answered. "But we're talking about millions and millions of cultivators." Spirit Qi was not as rich as Immortal Qi, but there was strength in numbers. The effect of the destruction of millions of cultivators' meridians was far greater than a burst of Immortal Qi.
"So…" Yi Qing's expression was as dark as the bottom of a frying pan. "Every hundred thousand years, the Abode Master annihilates the world so that his immortal meridian can absorb the Spirit Qi of all the cultivators?"
"… Yes," Bitao nodded.
"…" All of them sucked in their breaths. All the living creatures of the Three Azure Realms only existed for the sake of this immortal meridian. It was no wonder that the immortals began their massacre the moment they touched down onto the Lower Realm. it was no wonder that this day was called the Day of Re- Harvest - it referred to a rebirth of the world. And "Harvest"… it was referring to the harvest of the living creatures. The harvest was the Spirit Qi released when the living creatures died.
That was the aim of the immortal in when he created this world? All of them were filled with an unspeakable anger, but none of them could do anything about it.
"Don't worry," Bitao comforted, "There is a limit to the number of people this Lower Realm can contain. The next time immortals are sent down here will be at least a thousand years later. As long as we make it past today, we will be safe."
This was no comfort - they all still felt a deep sense of alarm. Xuan Yuanyu's panic and fear came in bouts. If it had not been for Shen Ying, perhaps… this time would have been like the twelve other times before - the Azure World would have been wiped clean by those immortals. A dead and heavy silence filled the air. Anyone who found out that they were but tools that the immortal from the Upper Realm created to produce Spirit Qi would feel terrible.
After hearing all of this, Xuan Yuanyu pondered for over ten minutes before he finally regained his composure.
"Thank you for coming to our rescue, Sect Master Shen. What should we do next?" Xuan Yuanyu turned to Shen Ying, addressing her as the pillar of support holding the entire Upper Azure World up. Even the traveling immortals and disciples behind him were looking at her expectantly.
Shen Ying shook her head, "Didn't Floaty say we would be alright after today? There's nothing left for me to do here. You can think about what to do next."
Xuan Yuanyu nodded slowly and thanked Shen Ying again. Then, he turned around and assigned each person a task so that they could repair the damage down to their home.
"I'm tired," Shen Ying turned to Yi Qing. "Chef, let's go home." "Yes, Master!" Yi Qing had finished regulating his meridians. He walked forward and stopped Shen Ying. "Master, the transportation array is this way."
"Er…"
The two of them turned to walk toward the transportation array, but Shen Ying suddenly recalled something. She gestured toward Bitao, "Floaty, come here."
"Yes, Exalted Immortal!" The lower half of his body was still invisible. Bitao floated toward Shen Ying.
Shen Ying walked into the transportation array, still feeling like she was forgetting something.
Forget it, I'm too tired. I'll think about it again next time.
The Yi Family's huge worm: "…" Why isn't the Great Immortal here yet?
ε(┬┬_┬┬)3
Chapter 112: Lonemoon’s Condition Worsens
At Invincible Sect.
After walking some distance, Shen Ying suddenly remembered that a certain family still needed her help. So she once again turned back to settle the matter. After that was done, all she could think of were food recipes. She had far too much exercise today. Would Father Niu agree to an additional meal of supper? Had he awakened?
She was still hesitating about whether to to look in on him when she heard a timid voice behind her.
"Exalted… Exalted Immortal," Bitao called after Shen Ying. He had been surrounded by a big group of female disciples the moment he touched down. Inexplicably, he felt a shiver down his spine. There was something weird in the way they looked at him. Their eyes were shining a little too… brightly.
Had he done anything wrong? All the disciples: Master has brought back another immortal punching bag!
(.♥ᴗ♥.)
"Exalted… Exalted Immortal!" Bitao could not help calling out again. Hadn't he been acknowledged as one of their own? Explain the situation to them!
Shen Ying turned to look at him and was about to speak when Yu Hong rushed in hurriedly.
"Master, bad news. There's something wrong with Elder Lonemoon."
Supper!
Eyes widening in anticipation, she instructed, "Let's go!" She stepped forwards, but suddenly turned around and lifted Floaty up. Then carrying Floaty with her, she left with Yu Hong for Father Niu's room. Not only had Father Niu not awakened, he looked much worse than before she left. His face was covered in sweat and a rivulet of blood flowed down the corner of his mouth.
"Take a look, what's wrong with him?" asked Shen Ying, letting go of Floaty.
"Isn't this…" Eyes widening in surprise, Bitao stepped forwards to look at the person on the bed. "Did he… did he just go through the Immortal Ascension?"
"Yes." Shen Ying nodded.
Sucking in his breath, Bitao immediately took the pulse of the man on the bed, the expression on his face growing increasingly grave as he assessed Lonemoon's condition. "His immortal bones are formed but why isn't there a single shred of Immortal Qi in his body?" Bitao asked as he started transmitting Immortal Qi to Lonemoon, whose pallor then immediately improved.
"To withstand the eighty-third bolt divine lightning." Yi Qing stepped forward to explain, "He used up all the Immortal Qi of the Lightning Tribulation in overcoming the last bolt of divine lightning."
"Eighty-three? Bitao looked even more astounded.
"Then what were the extra bolts of Lightning Tribulation for?" Yi Qing continued, "If nourishing the immortal meridian was the purpose, why prevent everyone from Immortal Ascension?" Were they afraid that the Upper World would discover the Azure World's secret? But if even he, Yi Qing, knew this, it is evident that this was no longer a secret in the Immortal Realm.
"Because… of the laws, " answered Bi Tao with a frown. Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Although this place is called the Azure World, to the Upper World it is no more than a tiny mystic realm created by the Abode Master. So he can do whatever he wants with it without interference. But Immortal Ascension is a different matter…"
Pointing at the sky he said, "If someone ascends from this realm, the Heavenly Dao will send a heavenly beam down to receive him, activating the laws to receive him to the Upper World. Once a person ascends, this place will become an small independent world, equal in status to the other three thousand worlds. When that happens, the gate to the mystic realm controlled by the Abode Master will close. Unless the gate is forced opened, even the immortals from the Upper World cannot enter."
"So, to prevent people from this part of the world from Immortal Ascension…" Yi Qing expression darkened even more as he continued, "The Abode Master added another bolt to the Nine Nine Lightning Tribulation."
Bitao nodded. "That's right. The Abode Master instructed that divine lightning be used to destroy the newly formed immortal bones of anyone attempting the Immortal Ascension. This is to prevent the person from activating the Heavenly Beam to receive him, just like … what happened to me previously."
"You… aren't you already an immortal?" Yu Hong could not help asking. Everyone could see that he was covered in Immortal Qi.
"Was it because of the Immortal Formation Pill?" asked Yi Qing, suddenly recalling. "That's right!" Bitao nodded his head vigorously. "It was because of this pill. I was a core cultivator. My immortal bones were smashed during Immortal Ascension and I turned into a traveling immortal. Since then I've been researching how to regenerate immortal bones. After spending almost ten thousand years, I managed to refine the Immortal Formation Pill just before my life span ran out."
Bitao's expression was sombre, as if recalling the events of the past. Trembling a little, he said, "My immortal bones were already formed when I came out of seclusion. When the Heavenly Beam was descending to receive me, the Abode Master Xun Li, in an effort to conceal this matter from the Heavenly Dao, extracted my life soul, sealed it in the pill repository and banished it to the mystic realm of the Azure World."
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Bi Tao continued, "He took my almost soulless, puppet-like shell of a body back to the Immortal World, thinking to cut my ties with the Azure World. As the life soul in the pill repository was incomplete, its memories were chaotic, the only thing it could remember were the pill formulas. Due to that, it thought that it was already dead."
So that was why Bitao had insisted on passing the formulas to them; this was the only thing he could remember.
"Exalted Immortal…" Turning to look at Shen Ying with a serious expression, Bitao said, "This friend of yours doesn't have any Immortal Qi. So he won't be able to trigger the laws and activate the Heavenly Beam that will take him to the Immortal World. Moreover, his immortal bones are formed, if he doesn't get to the Immortal World, I'm afraid…"
"How do we ascend?" asked Shen Ying, frowning.
"There's an entrance to the Immortal World in this realm." Bitao continued, "It's the one we immortals use to descend to this realm. It should still be open…"
"Is that the one?" Shen Ying opened the window, pointing to a particular spot in the sky.
"It's closed!" How could this be? Bitao was taken aback. "The Day of Re-Harvest has not passed. The entrance is usually guarded by the Earth Immortal, but it should not be…" Shen Ying vanished in a flash. Before long, she returned carrying a person whom she flung onto the ground. "You mean this person?"
Bitao: "…"
Why is the Earth Immortal entrance guard here!
!!!∑(゚Д゚ノ)ノ
Shouldn't the guard be at the eye of the array formation in front of the entrance? Even the Mystic Immortal could not break that array formation, how could it be…
"This… This… What to do, what to do? A flustered Bitao whirled around like an ant on a hot pan. "Since the Earth Immortal entrance guard is here, the Qing Tong Immortal Abode will immediately know something is amiss and send other immortals down here to investigate. And this time there will be more of them, maybe even the Abode Master himself will come down personally… We're doomed, doomed!" "How can the gate be opened?" Shen Ying continued to question.
"Exalted Immortal, you still don't understand!" Bitao explained anxiously, "Apart from the fact that the gate can only be opened from the Immortal World, even if it could, we can't open it now!" No matter how powerful she was, how could she stand up to the Perfected Stygian Immortal Abode Master?
Although the Azure World was just a tiny world, it was nevertheless a mortal world that could not withstand the entry of too many immortals. So usually, only the Earth Immortal can enter at will. Others could only enter once every thousand years, when the Immortal Meridian was at its peak strength and the gate opened. The Day of Re-Harvest being such a day.
Bitao had thought that once they got past this day, with his and Shen Ying's combined efforts, they would not have to worry about the Azure World being annihilated. When the time came, they would find some way to deal with it. But as the Earth Immortal entrance guard was here, the gate had automatically closed as there was nobody watching over the entrance. Someone at the immortal abode would be sure to notice this. If the Abode Master really came down personally… We're done for, we're done for!…
"Can the entrance really only be opened from the Immortal World?"
"Of course."
"Then…" Glancing at the man on the bed once again, Shen Ying abruptly turned to Yi Qing and asked, "Chef, why don't you try ascending?"
Yi Qing: "…"
Bitao: "…"
Yu Hong: "…"
All the disciples: "…" !!!∑(゚Д゚ノ)ノ
Chapter 113: Freedom and Independence
The Immortal Realm.
Immortal Qi was surging at the entrance of the Azure World, illuminating the entire sky. It seemed to set the stage for immortal ascension.
"What's going on?" The immortal steward at the Qing Tong Immortal Abode asked.
"I think… it seems like someone from the Azure World is ascending into immortality," another
immortal answered.
"Another person is ascending? Didn't one just ascend four hours ago?"
"It is highly likely that these people are feeding on the immortal qi now that the entrance has been opened." "From the looks of it, another sword cultivator is about to ascend into immorality. Since when were there so many sword cultivators in the Azure World? Where's the Earth Immortal who's supposed to be standing guard at the door? Why isn't he sorting this out?"
"Well… I am unsure. The entrance is already closed - it seems like the Earth Immortal has already been away for quite some time."
"Ridiculous! The Day of Re-Harvest is such an important day, yet he dared to leave his post!"
"I will arrange for another immortal to stand guard immediately to stop these people from ascending into immortality."
"Forget it. So many immortals have already gone down earlier; surely someone will realise and do something about it."
"But… we have already struck 78 bolts of lightning for the Lightning Tribulation." "What!" The manager exclaimed. "Not one of the immortals who went down to clean up the place stopped this from happening?"
"No…"
"This is nonsense! Go and report this to the Abode Master immediately. The rest of you, follow me to the entrance." The steward pointed to someone before leading the five remaining mystic immortals to the entrance where the Immortal Qi continued to surge.
At that moment, the Immortal Qi had become so thick that it was almost tangible. Without the Earth Immortal standing guard at the entrance to suppress the Immortal Qi, the Immortal Ascension Stage began to form in the midst of the Immortal Qi. The closed entrance to the Azure Word was beginning to crack.
The steward arrived at the entrance and saw that the 80 bolts of lightning had been sent down to the Azure World. The last bolt of lightning struck, hitting the subject of the tribulation. He paused, horror-struck, then immediately summoned an array with his hands to suppress the fast-forming Immortal Ascension stage.
He opened the gate and entered the Aure World, muttering a curse under his breath. On account of the fact that the subject of the tribulation was a sword cultivator, he gathered close to 90 percent of his immortal energy to summon a huge purple lightning bolt which flashed red at the tip, making it follow closely after the 81st bolt of lightning of the Lightning Tribulation.
He immediately turned back to the five immortals behind him. He started to seal the entrance to the Immortal Realm, which burst open once again because of the Lightning Tribulation. Just as he lifted his hands to summon the seal, a look of horror crossed the immortals' faces and they pointed to something behind him.
"Steward Yi, behind you!"
The steward paused. He could not react in time. All he saw was a flash from behind him. The lightning bolt that he released was shooting upwards toward them, as if it had a life of its own. There was a loud whipping noise as the lightning bolt reached the group of immortals, coiling around their waists like a whip. They felt their bodies sink to the ground and heard a swoosh by their ear. Together with the steward, the mystic immortals were pulled down through the entrance into the Azure World like a string of gourds.
Without the immortals' array to suppress it, the Immortal Ascension Stage took form. It was glowing golden and rising quickly into the air. It seemed to bathe the entire Qing Tong Immortal Abode in its gold light.
Xun Li's eyes suddenly shot wide open. He had been resting in the great hall, but was interrupted by a bright golden light which illuminated the entire hall. He looked toward the source of the light.
"The Heavenly Beam… what is going on?" His deep voice travelled quickly through the abode.
The Stygian Immortal's power caused everything within a hundred-mile radius to vibrate.
"Your Excellency…" The immortal who had come back with the report earlier happened to be standing outside the doors of the hall. He was trembling as he replied, "There is a sword cultivator… in the Azure World. He just ascended to immortality. Steward Yi brought men with him to stop this from happening but it looks like… he was too late."
"Hmph, Steward Yi is becoming less and less reliable," Xun Li's expression darkened. He waved his hand and a burst of light shot forth. An array suddenly appeared in the sky, hiding the golden light and stopping it from illuminating the Qing Tong Immortal Abode. Then, he commanded, "Go to the Meeting Hall and ask a few people to destroy the Immortal Ascension Stage immediately."
"As for the cultivator… we must stop him from ascending completely. Destroy his immortal bones and remove his soul. Keep him trapped in the Lower Realm."
"Yes!" The immortal bowed and retreated.
Within minutes, he returned. "Your Excellency, something bad has happened! It's… it's up here!" "
What?" Xun Li shouted. "Even the people in the Meeting Hall could not stop the man from ascending into the Upper World?"
"No… No, they didn't stop him, but… he's also not… he's not a man."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" He frowned, his face contorting with anger. "Why are you panicking? What exactly is happening?" He cast a clarity spell onto the immortal.
"The lower realm… lower realm…" The man remained flustered, pointing toward something behind him. "Something bad has come up."
"What bad…" Xun Li started to ask.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake and large cracks began to form, causing loud cracking noises to echo throughout the Upper World. The great hall also began to shake. Xun Li looked around in shock, then flew up into the air and steadied himself.
It was only then that he realised that the entire Qing Tong Immortal Abode, including the golden Immortal Ascension Stage, appeared as if it were falling into pieces. Cracks covered every surface and the immortal abode which stood tall just seconds ago collapsed onto the ground. Hundreds of immortals flew out from different directions. The Heavenly Beam penetrated through the cracks, illuminating the entire immortal realm.
What… is going on?
The golden light shone brighter and brighter. Something had broken through his suppressive array - the beam was now uncontainable.
Xun Li's eyes widened, yet he still could not figure out what was happening. The immortal who had delivered the message earlier suddenly pointed to something and shouted, "Your Excellency, that thing… is up… up here!" Xun Li turned around and saw the crack-covered ground. Something huge was sticking out of the middle of the Qing Tong Immortal Abode, and it seemed to be growing taller and taller, rising above the surface.
The ground shook more vigorously. There was a loud explosion and bricks flew in all directions. A huge body emerged out of the ground and flew several feet into the sky before landing on the ground with a loud bang. It landed where the Immortal Abode stood previously, threatening to shatter what was left of the ground into pieces.
In front of them was a patch of lush greenery.
What they were looking at seemed to be… a spiritual peak that flew up out of the Azure World!
Σ(°△°|||)
Nobody could bring themselves to say anything. A chilling voice suddenly said, "Well, who is the Stygian Immortal Xun… Xun… Xun what again?" "Xun Li," another voice responded.
"Oh, yes. Xun Li."
The immortals looked up and realised that atop the peak stood three people - two males and one female. The one speaking was the female who was standing in the middle.
"Who is Xun Li?" Shen Ying asked once more.
All the immortals still seemed to be recovering from the shock of seeing an entire spiritual peak emerge from the ground. They dazedly turned toward the man standing in the center of all of them.
"I guess it's you…" Shen Ying narrowed her eyes and studied Xun Li. "That. whoever…. I came here to tell you something. From today onward…" She suddenly stepped forward and enunciated each of the following words slowly and clearly.
"In the name of freedom, the Azure World is independent!" "…"
Chapter 114: A Sect's Ascension to Immortality
Xun Li had absolutely no regard for Shen Ying. He glared aggressively at Yi Qing beside her and said, "You successfully ascended to immortality, your immortal meridian…"
He hesitated. Instinctively, he started to conjure a seal to close up the entrance from the Azure World, but he realised that he had now lost control over the mystic realm. His face fell and he began to fume in anger. His face began to twist in rage.
He spent hundreds of thousands of years nurturing his immortal meridian, spent so much effort constructing the Azure World, and used up so much energy to introduce life forms into the world, yet… Yet now it has been reduced to just another average world, like thousands of others. He lost all control over his creation!
"Unbelievable! A few ants from the lower realm actually dared to destroy my mystic realm and break my immortal meridian!" His eyes reddened as he shot a death glare at Yi Qing. "You think that by ascending to immortality, you would be free from all other worries? If I don't let you, you can only dream about growing as an immortal!" He gestured toward the immortals behind him and gritted his teeth. "Destroy all the bones of every single man atop this peak! But leave that sword cultivator who destroyed my immortal meridian alone - I want to kill him myself!"
When he finished speaking, the immortal Qi in his body burst forth. He drew his immortal weapons and charged toward Yi Qing. The Immortal Qi around him surged so strongly that it pushed the surrounding immortals out along with it. With an unbelievable amount of immortal power, he thrust his sword directly toward Yi Qing.
Suddenly, his arm tensed. His body got pushed back to where he was standing originally. The woman who had been shouting earlier was now beside him, smiling.
"Sorry, I was the one who thought of helping him ascend to immortality. You're after the wrong guy," she said calmly. "If you want to take revenge, I'll grant your wish!"
"…" ——————
Ever since he got back to the immortal realm an hour ago, Bitao has been worrying incessantly. He had been strongly against Shen Ying's idea to help Yi Qing ascend to immortality in order to open the gates to the immortal realm.
Wasn't this akin to committing suicide?
There was no need to even talk about whether the people from the Qing Tong Immortal Abode would find out that the immortals they had sent to the lower realm have already been wiped out; they would never allow anyone from the lower realm to complete the Lightning Tribulation. They would do everything in their power to destroy the Immortal Ascension Stage.
That was why he said that it would be impossible for Yi Qing to ascend to immortality.
Yet… their plan worked. "…"
The great bolt of lightning that followed the 81st bolt of the Lightning Tribulation was so strong that even Bitao was unsure if he would have been able to survive it. But Shen Ying seemed to grab it with one hand effortlessly.
Yes, she grabbed it!
It was a bolt of lightning - not a shoelace or a weapon. To this moment, he could not figure out how she grabbed the intangible and formless bolt of lightning.
What's more, with a flick of her wrist, she managed to pull all the Mystic Immortals down from above, destroying their immortal bones. One of them was even the steward of the immortal abode.
This… is unbelievable!
He could hardly believe his own eyes. What happened next made him rethink his definition of "strong" and "powerful".
"Sect Master, you and the elders can rest assured and ascend to immortality. The rest of us will continue to train hard. One day, we will reunite in the upper world." Yu Hong stared in awe at the Heavenly Beam. She was excited, but she also could not bear to see them leave. She sucked in a deep breath to repress the tears which threatened to flow out of her eyes.
The eyes of the disciples behind her also began to well up. They held back their tears and stared at Shen Ying, not daring to blink as they tried to etch her image in their hearts before she left.
"Okay." Shen Ying nodded. "Goodbye! Please be careful after I'm gone."
"Yes, yes, yes." Yu Hong nodded furiously. "Sect Master, please take care of yourself. When the rest of us ascend to immortality, we will continue to clean up your house for you."
What? Clean up…
Shen Ying paused. She did not know what to say.
Suddenly, she stepped forward and grabbed Yu Hong's hand. In a serious tone, she said, "I think… it's impossible to even apply for a visa to get to the immortal realm from the Azure World. It's way too inconvenient. Why not… we all migrate there together!"
"…"
Bitao did not understand what "migrate" meant, but his eyes widened when he saw Shen Ying suddenly jump toward the entrance to the immortal realm and pull the small opening apart until it grew at least a hundred times bigger. With her bare hands…
She jumped back down to the Invincible Sect which was being illuminated by the Heavenly Beam. With one kick, the entire sect flew up into the Upper World. She really kicked it. Just once.
By the time Bitao had regained his composure, the entire Invincible Sect was already standing atop the crushed Qing Tong Immortal Abode.
In his days in the immortal realm, he had come across countless immortals who had ascended into immortality. It was not impossible to help someone else ascend - one only had to endure the Lightning Tribulation twice. Many people did this. There were some who helped their Dao partner ascend, others who helped their children ascend, some who helped their benefactors ascend and still others who helped their friends ascend…
But this was the first time he saw an entire sect ascend together!
And not just the people ascended - the land ascended as well!
Bitao's entire worldview was put to the test… He must have been dreaming. That must be it. These weird things happen in dreams all the time.
As compared to bringing an entire land up to the immortal realm, quashing hundreds of immortals in the span of a few minutes looked normal. As for the Stygian Immortal Xun Li… He was the first to fall to his knees.
-_-|||
Shen Ying was so powerful that she made all of this look like a simple game. Bitao reckoned that an Immortal Emperor would find it difficult to compete with Shen Ying, let alone a mere Stygian Immortal like Xun Li. At least from what Bitao knew, even Immortal Emperors were not strong enough to break open the realm gate. Unless…
He turned around as if suddenly recalling something. Then, he slammed both of his hands on a table. "Exalted Immortal!"
"Huh?" Shen Ying jumped and looked down at his hands, frowning. "Are you… of a divine race?" He could think of no other race that could beat immortals this easily.
"Are you crazy?" The corners of Shen Ying's mouth twitched. She pointed her chopsticks toward him and clapped them together. "My food!"
Bitao paused. He looked down and realised that his lands had landed on two plates. The food on the plates were now smashed under his palms.
"Master, shall I take care of this disrespectful man?" Yi Qing drew his sword.
"Wait… I didn't do it on purpose!" Bitao's face went pale immediately. He quickly retreated. "I'll pay with immortal stones!" He immediately took out a bag from inside his robe.
Shen Ying nodded and Yi Qing kept his sword. Hm, Father Niu will have enough capital to get started in the Immortal Realm. "Exalted Immortal, are you really not of a divine race?" Bitao refused to give up as he scanned Shen Ying from head to toe.
That can't be right. He had heard the steward say that a hundred thousand years ago, a divine race had mistakenly come to the Azure World. That coward Xun Li was so afraid that the divine being would find out the truth about the Azure World, so in addition to stopping people in the Lower Realm from entering the Immortal Realm, he also forbade anyone in the Immortal Realm from entering the Lower Realm. He also pushed the Day of Re-Harvest back by several thousand years. He only re-instated it after he was sure that the divine being left the Azure World.
Bitao thought that the divine being had not left after all, and that Exalted Immortal Shen Ying was that divine being!
He was getting more and more confused.
Lonemoon, who had finally regained consciousness after a long time, was equally confused. He woke up to feel the thick Immortal Qi around him. Obviously, he had already ascended to the Immortal Realm. But… this familiar room… and the faces of the disciples walking past him and greeting him. What the hell is going on?
Wasn't he supposed to be the first person in Invincible Sect to ascend to immortality? He thought he ascended even before that cheat and chef. How was that the entire sect was now in the Immortal Realm?
Motherf*cker, return my sense of superiority!
(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻
Chapter 115: General Knowledge of the Immortal Realm
"Shen Ying, pack up the house once you're done eating," Lonemoon instructed the foodie Shen Ying as he scurried around. Shen Ying had been eating steak and rice. "I've already made arrangements for Yu Hong to bring the disciples here and move all of your things over to the west hall. You'll be staying there from now on."
"Huh?" Shen Ying gave a blank expression. "Why?" She was happy to remain where she was. Why did she have to move? So troublesome.
"Isn't there an Immortal Abode at the bottom of this peak?" Lonemoon asked rhetorically. "I've already studied it. When you are right now is a perfect position from which we can reach the center of the Immortal Abode if we dig right through the ground."
"Why are we trying to reach the Immortal Abode?" Isn't it crushed by now? "Why else? Of course we're going to collect the remains! Don't you usually collect the equipment of those you kill?"
"…" That makes sense.
Lonemoon rolled his eyes and started to nag, "You're a Sect Master after all. Can you please spend some thought for the sect? Don't you know now that we've ascended to immortality, none of our weapons, spirit stones, pills or herbs will be useful? So many people from our sect has now ascended to immortality. If we don't gather what we need, we would just be sitting around and eating the air. And…" He turned to look at the man to his right. "Who is this? Where did you pick him up from? Can you stop giving our sect trouble?"
Bitao: "…"
"This is Floaty."
"I don't care about Float Whatever. Put him back where you found him," Lonemoon said, exasperated. As if it was not enough to wake up and find that the entire sect had ascended to immortality; everything that he had worked so hard to collect over the past few years have suddenly been reduced to trash. He was so anxious that he felt as if he was losing his mind. Yet, at this nerve-wrecking moment, all Shen Ying cared about was food. "The Sect has no money to support a freeloader."
"Er, well… Immortal Friend, I am Bitao. We met in the mystic realm earlier," Bitao explained awkwardly. He went on to describe everything that he had been through up to that point.
"You were the immortal soul that was forcing me to receive your outdated inheritance?"
"…" Is it necessary to call it "outdated"?
Lonemoon scanned him from head to toe, his eyes twinkling as if he had thought of a brilliant idea. He reached out and plucked Radish off his thigh, pushing it into Bitao's arms. "That's perfect! Since you have decided to stay in Invincible Sect, you can make some contributions! It's time to put your skills to the test. Bring this radish around and refine some immortal pills. Refine only the valuable kinds." "Ji?" The Radish paused and studied Bitao. Then, it let out a loud "Pui!"
Yet another ugly thing!
Bitao: "…"
Is everyone in the Invincible Sect this determined to milk all the benefits out of everything they possessed?
Lonemoon turned back to Shen Ying and asked, "Shen Ying, what do you have planned for the future of the sect?"
"Plans?" Shen Ying paused.
"You don't even have a single freaking plan?" Lonemoon's mouth twitched as he felt his temples tense up from the frustration he felt. "Shouldn't you at least have come up with a plan? Should we remain here or should we find somewhere else to move to? How about those newly recruited disciples? Drop your act! Didn't you think of all of these when I passed out earlier on? You even fixed the annihilation problem. Keep working your brain and think!"
"Hm…" Shen Ying frowned. It was so tiring to work her brain. Moments later, she tapped Lonemoon on the shoulder and said seriously, "Father Niu, I'm counting on you!" What did she need her brain for while Father Niu was around? She'd might as well throw it away!
"Get lost!" Lonemoon shouted irritatedly. I'm not your nanny. "Don't say I didn't remind you: we know nothing about the immortal realm. On the surface, it looks like we've resolved the Azure World's problem, but we still don't know if Xun Li had any friends or relatives who might come knocking on our doors soon. What I'm afraid of is- "
"You don't have to worry about that," Bitao stepped forward and interrupted. "The Qing Tong Immortal Abode is located in Qu Shuang City, in a marginal area that has thin Immortal Qi. What's more, while the story of Xun Li's immortal meridian is no secret, he did not want many people to know that he was using living souls to nurture his immortal meridian. So he normally minimises interaction with immortals from other Immortal Abodes. As long as we register our sect in Qu Shuang City and pay our dues on time, the city will not get involved in private disputes between different abodes."
"Pay our dues?" Lonemoon asked, frowning. "Explain what that means."
Bitao nodded and began to explain how things worked in the Immortal Realm.
In summary, they were told that this Immortal Abode was really nothing spectacular in the Immortal Realm.
"The place where we're at now is Immortal Zhang Yan's Qu Shuang City, which is in the country of Chong Zhen, and continent of Feng Cang. Immortals who ascended to immortality can come here to establish a sect and recruit disciples. There are thousands of immortal cave abodes in Qu Shuang City alone, and Qing Tong Immortal Abode is but one. The City owns every domain in Qu Shuang City, so we have to pay a fixed amount of immortal stones each year if we want to establish a sect here. There is an immortal meridian underneath Qu Shuang City - the closer we are to the center of the city, the thicker the Immortal Qi would be. Qing Tong Immortal Abode could be considered a first-rank sect, but there isn't much Immortal Qi here because we're far from the center of the city. That's why Qing Tong Immortal Abode didn't have to pay much in immortal stones each year."
"What about the Stygian Immortal you mentioned?" Lonemoon asked.
"The immortal realm is no different from the mortal realm - we still have to increase our cultivation here," Bitao explained. "There are eight main levels: Earth Immortal, Golden Immortal, Mystic Immortal, Stygian Immortal and Exalted Immortal. People with newly formed immortal bones usually are Earth Immortals. After one breaks through the Stygian Immortal stage, they can become an emperor. There are three types of emperors: Young Emperors, Immortal Emperors, and Celestial Emperors. Emperors are free to establish their own nations. Chong Zhen is a nation established by Immortal Emperor Ge You. The Celestial Emperors, who are above Immortal Emperors, own mainlands. There are a total of ten Celestial Emperors in the Immortal Realm; they own one ocean or one mainland each."
"You mean…" Shen Ying interrupted as she set aside her rice. "We are only considered a small village on a hill? As long as we pay our dues, no one will care who is managing this place or staying here?" "You could say so," Bitao nodded.
Lonemoon heaved a huge sigh of relief. He considered something for a moment and said, "People who formed immortal bones are Earth Immortals. But our disciples have not gone through the lightning tribulation and don't have immortal bones. What are they?"
"Relax, Immortal Friend. There is an easy solution!" Bitao explained "As long as they soak themselves in the Immortal Ascension Pond, the Immortal Ascension Pond's water will enter their mortal bodies and form immortal bones. The only problem is that they might not be strong enough to form immortal bones. They must be Nascent Souls at the very least in order to enter the pond."
"Where is the Immortal Ascension Pond?" Where is he supposed to look for it?
"You're mistaken, Immortal Friend. The Immortal Ascension Pond is formed by the condensation of Immortal Qi. We can dig a hole anywhere and fix up an Immortal Qi Condensation Array, and an Immortal Ascension Pond will form. The Immortal Qi in the Immortal Realm is much thicker than Spirit Qi, and there aren't going to be any Lightning Tribulations in the Immortal Realm. These disciples can all become Earth Immortals in less than a hundred years."
Lonemoon frowned. His disciples would ascend to immortality in less than a hundred years. He himself had worked so hard for hundreds of years, yet his disciples would catch up with him quickly. Just thinking about this made his heart hurt.
"Great Immortal Shen, when we pay our dues the next time, we should register our sect with Qu Shuang City. Invincible Sect will then be considered an official immortal sect here."
"When is the next time we pay our dues?"
"We always pay them at the beginning of the third month…" He counted with his fingers and suddenly paused. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "That's… tomorrow!"
"…" Shit, why didn't you say so earlier!
He turned around and rushed out. After a while, he returned with over about thirty disciples and gestured toward the hall. "Hurry up, stop hesitating and start digging! Don't leave any immortal stone behind."
Shen Ying: "…"
Chapter 116: Invasion of a Team
Qu Shuang City.
"Invincible Sect?" The immortal in charge of registration looked through the book in his hands and glanced at the three people standing in front of him. Finally, he blurted, "You.. really want to establish a sect and set up an abode?"
"Yes!"
"Just the two of you Earth Immortals and a…" the immortal scanned Shen Ying from head to toe but still could not figure out her cultivation level. His eyes widened, and disbelief was written all over his face. It was obvious that he thought they were being silly.
There was nothing strange about the fact that they wanted to establish a sect, but doing so would require them to pay at least two hundred top-grade immortal stones each year. This was not much to any normal sect, but it is a lot to normal cultivators. This meant that only people from rich families or who had the right connections would think about establishing a sect. Such people would also be Mystic Immortals at the very least. Of the three people standing in front of him, two had just ascended to become Earth Immortals. There were even remnants of the Lightning Tribulation aura about them. The last one was not even an Earth Immortal. Obviously, she was only here because they brought her along. Yet, the three of them were looking to establish a sect. They must be so rich that they can't find any other way to spend their money.
"Are you… sure?" He asked them once more.
The corners of Lonemoon's mouth twitched as he nodded once again. "Yes!" He reached into his robe and took out a bag of immortal stones, handing it over to the immortal. "Thank you, Immortal Friend."
The immortal received the immortal stones and once again, shot the three people a look as if they were out of their minds. Then, he filled up the book in his hand and summoned a seal, muttering something under his breath. He flicked the book and the words suddenly jumped out of the page, flying onto the huge immortal wall behind him. They saw a flash of light and suddenly, the name "Invincible Sect" appeared on the wall, right next to the names of all the other sects. Their name took up just a small space on that huge brick wall. "Alright, remember to come back and pay your dues each year," the immortal reminded them. He quickly added, "If you run out of immortal stones, you can come back and cancel the registration any time."
"Thank you," Lonemoon said as he bowed politely. He grabbed Shen Ying and Yi Qing by the sleeves and pulled them out.
This was the first time he encountered financial problems in his two lifetimes. Initially, he thought that they would be able to find a huge stash in the Qing Tong Immortal Abode, given that so many immortals resided there. But after they dug through the ground, they found out that Xun Li was nothing but a broke bastard.
There were less than a thousand immortal stones stored in the secret storage - that was only going to last them for two years. They could not figure out how Xun Li managed to stay in power as the Abode Master. He must have spent all his immortal stones on nurturing his immortal meridian.
Lonemoon's head started to hurt. Many of them made it to the immortal realm, but all of them were considered as scum in there. Not one of them had the skills to earn a living - even the spirit herb, which was the most valuable among them all earlier, was considered rubbish when compared to the immortal herbs. They had hoped that Bitao would be of use to them since he has proficiency at refining pills, but later they found out that his pill refining skills were at the novice level in the immortal realm. The disciples in their sect were only good at eating - no one would want to take them in for free, much less buy them over.
They had no choice but to look for all ways and means to earn immortal stones! Lonemoon surveyed his surroundings. Qu Shuang City was considered a small immortal city, but it was huge in terms of space. Compared to the cities of the aristocratic families in the lower realm, Qu Shuang City is a few times larger. If they looked hard enough, they would surely find business opportunities.
"Let's split here!" He suggested as he looked around the street. He faced the person beside him and instructed, "Yi Qing, you're good with weapon refinement. Go and find out about immortal weapons; find out how much the raw materials would cost and how sales are carried out."
"Okay," Yi Qing replied and nodded. "Leave the rest of the industries to me. When we meet, we can consider which industry would be most profitable for us. We will gather again in four hours at the entrance of the city. Shen Ying, you can follow…"
Lonemoon turned around subconsciously and found that there was an empty space where Shen Ying had been standing. She was gone without a trace.
"Hey, where is she?"
Yi Qing: "…"
Holy shit! How did that directionless rat get lost while walking next to two other people?!
——————
In a dark alley beside the three main roads. Over ten men in black robes gathered in the corner of an alley, avoiding the crowd. The leader of the group was giving instructions in a hushed tone, "Once the sun sets, we can carry out our plan. Remember that we are only looking for people. Once you find them, capture them and take them away."
The group nodded.
"The City Lord has this place heavily guarded. This is a map - remember where you are supposed to search." With a flick of his wrist, a hologram of a map appeared on the man's palm. He showed the map to each person in the group and continued, "Wait for my signal before you act. Have you memorised it?"
"I haven't!" Shen Ying raised her hand slowly.
The leader paused and turned to glare at her. He pushed the map nearer to her face and said impatiently, "You can't even remember this? Hurry up and memorise it! Who even brought you on this mission?"
"You did!" She looked down at the black robe on her body. He was the one who had pulled her along with him when they were at the gate.
The man hesitated and scanned her from head to toe. He was trying to recall where he had met this person before, but he could not remember. Brushing the matter aside, he pointed to a spot on the map and said, "Hey, you will enter from here later on. The person we're looking for should be in the courtyard. Do not go into the main house. None of us Earth Immortals will be able to handle the people in there."
"Oh…" she nodded. And then?
"Remember not to alert anyone else," he continued. "Once you find the person, retreat. Everyone will meet again in the black forest outside of the city. Someone will receive us."
"Yes!" Everyone responded in hushed tones.
The leader glanced at the quickly darkening sky and said, "It's time!" He conjured a seal with his two hands. Within seconds, a transportation array appeared below their feet. In a blink of an eye, they found themselves in a courtyard. The leader distributed immortal talismans and explained, "This will help to hide your aura. As long as you have this, the Stygian Immortals will not be able to spot you. Let's set out!"
They all nodded and hid around the courtyard.
The intruder, Shen Ying: "…" Who exactly are we looking for?
Should I clarify this with them first?
She looked around her and chose a random direction to set off in. Just as she started to walk, she was pulled back by someone.
"Wait, come back!" The leader was pulling her back and pointing toward his right. "You are supposed to go this way. What's the matter? Didn't you study the map several times? Remember not to alert anyone else!"
"Er, actually I'm not- "I'm not one of you, Shen Ying wanted to explain. The man's expression changed as he interrupted her, "Someone's coming! Stick the talisman on yourself and move!" He ran and hid himself from sight
Shen Ying: "…"
She could almost feel Father Niu's rage!
She looked down at the black robe she was wearing and made a mental note to wear brighter colours the next time she went out so that she would not be mistaken for wearing the uniform of some other criminal organisation.
Of course, something else is more important at the moment - where exactly am I?
Where's the team? They captured her but didn't bother to take her along with them?
Shen Ying sighed and turned around to walk out of the arch door on her left. Forget it, I will look for the person myself. She hoped that Father Niu would not cut down her food allowance because of this. From what the person said earlier, she should be fine as long as she didn't alert…
"Who are you?" Shen Ying heard someone ask just as she walked through the door.
She heard swooshing noises and saw over ten swords formed from Immortal Qi pointing directly at her face.
Shen Ying: "…"
She lifted up the talisman in her hand and stuck it on her chest.
The person: "…"
What's the point of sticking an Aura-Concealing Talisman on yourself now? Do you think I'm blind?
Chapter 117: The Weighty Imaginary Figure
"Who are you, and why have you invaded the City Lord's abode?" The man flicked his wrist and sent yet another immortal sword flying toward Shen Ying. The sword stopped just two inches away from Shen Ying's face. He shouted, "Talk!"
"Er…" Shen Ying hesitated. "If I said I got lost, will you believe me?"
"You got lost in someone else's abode?" The man frowned even more deeply and tutted, "Hmph, you're wearing a black robe and you've only just ascended to become an Earth Immortal. Don't think I don't know why you have come."
"Well…" This is really just a normal black robe.
"I advise you to leave quickly and drop any ideas you have about Weighty Tower, or else… Don't blame me for being ruthless." "Weighty Tower?" Shen Ying paused. She looked up to see the tower behind the man. It was indeed so tall that it looked like it could reach the clouds. The tower was painted completely black, and it almost blended perfectly into the night sky. If she had not looked closely, she would not have noticed there was a tower there.
"Seeing as you have just ascended to immortality and are still relatively weak in your cultivation, the City Lord will surely deal with you mercifully if you repent now," he said in a deep voice.
Shen Ying felt his immortal power surge, unsure if he was showing off or if it was subconscious.
She tilted her head but said nothing in response. She looked behind the man and suddenly said, "Hey, do you know where the main door is?"
"You're still thinking of escaping at this stage?" He raised his eyebrows and glared art her, "The City Lord's Abode is filled with highly skilled immortals. You will surely be caught again before you even reach the front yard." "Oh."
"If you understand, you better… Wait! What are you doing?"
Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Shen Ying began to walk toward the man. He went pale and shouted anxiously, "Stop right there! Don't come any nearer, do you hear me?"
But Shen Ying paid no attention to him. She walked right past the immortal swords, as if they were not dangerous at all. She continued walking toward him and walked right through his body.
The man who had been so high and mighty earlier ran away so quickly that it looked like he had just disappeared into thin air.
Yet she could still hear his voice shouting nervously, "Stand still! Do not get any closer to the Weighty Tower, do you hear me!" "I say…" Shen Ying ignored him and continued walking toward the tall tower. She pushed open the door with her hands and said to the small figure seated inside, "Little friend, the next time you try to bluff someone, remember to disguise your voices as well."
A strong man who looked about twenty years old with a voice of a child coming from behind him - she gave this voice-over zero marks out of ten.
"You… you…" Seated in the middle of the room was a small child dressed in blue, with a look of pure panic on his face. He pointed to her with his little finger and said, "How did you get through my imaginary body and the defensive array outside the door?"
Shen Ying paused. Forget about the failure of an imaginary body - was there even a defensive array at the door?
"Little friend!" She shouted as she walked into the room. The child retreated in fear, and she could not help but kneel down and pull him back toward her. "Don't be afraid, Auntie is only here to ask for directions. Tell me where the main door is." "You…" The child's eyes widened as he studied her suspiciously. "You're really… here to ask for directions?"
"Yes," she answered, nodding. In order to prove she was not a weird auntie, she continued, "If you want, you can just point the direction in which the main door is located!"
"You… you're not here to capture me?" The child asked. He looked confused and utterly shocked.
"Why would I capture you?" She spread her hands to show that she meant no harm.
The child was shaken. "You… you're really not here to take me away?"
"Yes." Shen Ying nodded and quickly added, "I'm poor at the moment, I can't afford to raise a child."
"Really?" "Yes, really. I promise you in the name of Ultraman. Is that enough? Can you tell me where the main door is now?"
"…" What is Ultraman? The child hesitated and finally relaxed after a long while. He scanned her from head to toe once more and then said, "This is the back end of the City Lord's Abode. Behind us is the Immortal Decapitating Cliff - you cannot exit from there. If you want to get out of this place, you can only go through the front yard."
"Oh." She nodded. "Thank you, Little Friend!" She started to get up.
"Wait…" The child suddenly tugged at her sleeve. He hesitated for awhile and said, "Well… you should wait for a while before you go out. My father and grandfather are at the front yard subduing demons. If you walk out of here now, they will mistake you as a demon and kill you too." He looked at her worriedly and looked as if he suddenly recalled something. He said, "I… I am telling you this because I don't think you're that bad a person!"
"Alright, thanks!" Shen Ying smiled. She reached out and patted him on the head. Then, she thought for a while and said, "Hey… there are over ten people out there who are wearing the same black robe as me. They're the real human traffickers. To be safe, you'd better go to the front yard to look for your father and grandfather."
"There are people in the courtyard as well!" The child exclaimed. "Are they also Earth Immortals?"
"Er… I think so." She really could not tell.
"No wonder they could get in here." The array in the yard targeted Immortal Qi. Earth Immortals who had just ascended to the immortal realm still had remnants of Spirit Qi in them and did not possess thick Immortal Qi. That was why they could get past the array without being detected.
"Why don't you come with me?" Shen Ying suggested.
The child's expression fell and his eyes seemed to darken. He pointed to his feet in disappointment. "I cannot leave this array." "…" Array? She looked down and saw that there was indeed an array less than a metre in radius where the boy was sitting. She would not have noticed if the boy had not pointed it out to her.
"The Weighty Tower is protected by the defensive array that my grandfather set up. Even Earth Immortals cannot enter this tower easily," he said proudly. He paused and added, "You're not counted! As soon as the problem in the front yard is taken care of, they will…"
Before he could finish, they felt the ground beneath them shake. There were loud crashing sounds coming from his right. It sounded like something was exploding.
Shen Ying stood up and looked outside. She saw black smoke fill the air outside of the yard, and the black smoke was being blown toward them. She could not see anything beyond a hundred feet - not even a shred of moonlight.
The black aura entered the room through the door and the windows, causing the temperature to drop steadily. A bone- chilling presence pervaded the room. The ground was shaking even more vigorously; it felt like it was about to break apart. Shen Ying widened her eyes: What a big.. black smog!
(⊙ o ⊙)
"Hey, Little… Eh?" She wanted to warn the child behind her, but found that he was now completely pale. Beads of cold sweat dripped from his forehead and he looked like he was in terrible pain. "What's the matter? Little Friend, are you alright? Don't scare me!"
The child seemed to be in greater and greater pain. He was now curling up into a ball and he was beginning to bleed profusely, crying out in pain. She started to carry him, but the array suddenly emitted a great beam that shot right into the sky, causing the roof and the entire tower to collapse. The beam got brighter and brighter, illuminating the night sky.
Shen Ying's heart thumped.
Well… The child's parents wouldn't beat her up, would they?
Chapter 118: Sword Qi
Inside Qu Shuang City.
"Have you found her?" Lonemoon asked.
"She isn't in the west of the city?" Yi Qing shook his head. "I'll go and look in the east."
"Forget it, forget it!" Lonemoon pulled Yi Qing back. "You know that your master naturally conceals herself. Unless she looks for us, we will not be able to find her easily."
"But… Master is not good with directions," Yi Qing reminded Lonemoon.
The corners of his mouth twitched. For the 101st time, he felt like giving her a good beating. "We have no other choice; we can only wait and see."
"Wait?" Yi Qing stared blankly at Lonemoon. "Wait for what?" "Wait and see where there is trouble!" Lonemoon said through his gritted teeth. "Don't you understand your master's character yet? Wherever she is, she creates trouble. For all we know, right now…"
Boom…
Before he finished speaking, they heard a loud explosion coming from the east. Throughout Qu Shuang City, the impact was felt and the ground vibrated. A huge amount of black Qi began to fill the air and in a blink of an eye, the entire eastern region was covered in the black Qi.
"I can sense Master's aura over there," Yi Qing exclaimed. He drew his flying sword and flew toward the east.
Indeed.
Lonemoon frowned and turned toward the east. "Heh heh…"
He knew this would happen. He drew his flying sword and flew in the direction Yi Qing disappeared in. As he approached, he saw a significant number of immortals flying away in fear, shouting as they passed by him.
"Demonic Qi… a thick demonic Qi!"
"Yes, it's coming from the City Lord's Abode!"
"Demons have invaded the City Lord's Abode!"
City Lord's Abode?
Lonemoon pursed his lips as his heart began to race. It's the City Lord's Abode!
That foodie must create trouble wherever she went, didn't she? She actually caused trouble in the City Lord's Abode this time! The two of them continued to fly toward the east of the city. From far, they spotted an abode atop a hill. Immortals were fighting inside and there were sparks from dharma spells being cast.
These people looked stronger than Yi Qing and Lonemoon, especially the person in the middle of the commotion. His Immortal Qi seemed a few times stronger than Xun Li's. He was fighting with another person who was engulfed in black Qi. The latter did not seem to have any form. No matter what the former did, he could not seem to hit him because he kept hiding within the black smog.
The black smog was getting thicker. Yi Qing and Lonemoon were already beginning to feel uncomfortable and they were barely reaching the tower.
"Help!" Yi Qing shouted before he charged into the tower.
Lonemoon gritted his teeth and followed closely behind Yi Qing. The Sword Qi rushed out from his sword and forced the black smog to retreat a couple of inches. A green-robed immortal who was almost swallowed up by the black smog took the opportunity to escape from it and retreat into the defensive array.
"You are…" The man hesitated, surprised to see Yi Qing and Lonemoon. When the demonic Qi appeared, all the immortals apart from those who resided in the City Lord's Abode flew away. He did not think that anybody else would come to their aid. Yi Qing and Lonemoon were merely Earth Immortals, but their Sword Qi was strong enough to force the demonic Qi to retreat. Could they be…
Before he could open his mouth to ask anything, the demonic Qi surged toward him once more. He had no choice but to continue fighting. He tried to fight off the wind blades formed by the demonic Qi to stop them from breaking through the defensive array formation.
But he could hold the demonic Qi off for not much longer. Within a minute or two, the immortal who was fighting against the black figure collapsed onto the floor after a burst of demonic Qi hit him. "Patriarch!" The rest of the immortals exclaimed. His entire left shoulder was engulfed in demonic Qi, which seeped into his bones. Immediately, he used the sword in his hand to cut off his entire left arm. Then, he conjured a seal to stop the blood flow from his shoulder sockets.
In the time the immortal used to conjure the seal, the black figure charged forward once again to attack the man. Suddenly a gust of sword Qi clashed with the figure, causing it to let out a cry and retreat.
The man on the floor was obviously shocked. He looked down at the black drops of blood flowing from his severed arm - it was contaminated with demonic Qi. He shot a weird look at Yi Qing and asked, "How… did you?" How did you hit the demon?
As if understanding something, Yi Qing fended off the black Qi and answered, "My master taught me that demons aren't formless - they're just moving very quickly."
The man pondered this and suddenly looked as though he had figured everything out. "Many thanks!" he shouted, before he got up to charge at the black figure. He no longer hid within the defensive array. Instead, he rushed straight at the black smog at top speed. Indeed, the demon could no longer hide within the black smog. It had no choice but to retreat.
Just as they were about to defeat the demon, a bright white beam of light shot out from behind them and broke through the thick demonic Qi, illuminating the night sky. The air in Qu Shuang City was suddenly filled with strong sword Qi.
"Little An!" The injured immortal shouted! The demon took the chance while the immortal was distracted and escaped.
"This sword Qi is…" The green-robed immortal whom Lonemoon had saved earlier went as white as a sheet. The immortal looked up at the other immortal in the sky and said, "Father! Could Little An be…"
The other immortal frowned deeply and started to fly toward the white beam of light when Yi Qing, seeing the white beam, said, "the Primordial Soul Sword QI!"
The immortal paused and landed on the ground, turning around to look at Yi Qing in shock. "You know it!" Suddenly realising something, he said, "could you be-"
"A sword cultivator!" Yi Qing nodded and flew on his sword. "Let's go over first!"
A look of excitement crossed the father and son's faces, then they flew off to overtake Yi Qing and lead the way toward the white beam.
Lonemoon frowned and followed behind them. He nudged Yi Qing and whispered, "What's the Primordial Soul Sword Qi?" He was a sword cultivator too, but he had never heard of such a thing.
"That's the kind of sword that is contained in the veins and becomes thicker as the sword cultivator becomes stronger. If the cultivator can tap into this sword Qi, it would help his cultivation. But if he does not know how to use it, it could harm him," he explained as he flew. "This kind of Sword Qi is only present in those with the innate sword embodiment!"
"Oh." Lonemoon finally understood. So that was what it was. Hmph, another natural cheat!
The few of them flew toward the white beam of light and found that everything around it already reduced to smithereens. Beside the blinding white beam stood someone in a black robe who stared at the white beam of light.
"Who are you?" The immortal who had been battling the demon asked coldly. He did not think there were other people in the compounds. "Why are you-"
"Master!" Before he could finish, Yi Qing - who was standing behind him - rushed forward with a look of pure excitement on his face. When he reached the woman, he asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Shen Ying replied, nodding. I am just hungry.
"This…" Yi Qing looked around and saw that there were over ten immortals in black robes lying on the ground, unconscious. There was yet another one under Shen Ying's foot. "Oh, they are human traffickers." She pointed at the center of the white beam. "They wanted to kidnap the child and sell him. I just…"
Yi Qing listened and was just about to ask another question when he was interrupted.
The green-robed immortal in front of him looked anxiously into the white beam, then turned around and knelt to Yi Qing. "Sword Immortal, please save my son! His body is just like yours. Only you can help him remove the Primordial Soul Sword Qi from inside his body. If you are willing to save him, I, Bao Feiping, will do anything in return!"
Yi Qing turned to look at the small child in the middle of the white beam of light. He frowned. He looked no more than ten years old, but his cultivation level was so high that he seemed almost ready to ascend to become an Earth Immortal. It was no wonder that his tiny body was too weak to contain such strong Primordial Soul Sword Qi. If this continued on, he would be killed by the sheer strength of the sword Qi in his body.
He helped the immortal up and said, "Immortal Friend, please do not stand on ceremony. I will try my best to help, but you must know that I am weak and my own Primordial Soul Sword Qi has been suppressed for a long time. I dare not guarantee that I will be able to get rid of all the sword Qi in your son's body."
"Fellow Immortal, please do not worry. Go ahead and try!" Bao Feiping cupped his fists and continued, "No matter the outcome, I will remember this great favour."
Yi Qing nodded and began to walk into the white beam of light, but Shen Ying pulled him back.
"Master?"
Shen Ying instructed, "Be careful and come out soon."
"Yes, Master!" Yi Qing answered happily. Master was most worried about him. He was touched…
Shen Ying: Sigh, dinner is delayed yet again! Lonemoon was the only one deep in thought while studying the two strangers in their midst.
Bao Feiping?
Isn't that the name of the City Lord?
What a huge business prospect!
(✪o✪)
Chapter 119: Niu-Style Hoax
Yi Qing walked straight into the pillar of light. The initially ferocious sword Qi seemed to become less aggressive - it did not seem to be harmful to Yi Qing. Instead, the beam of light embraced Yi Qing as he walked into it. Yi Qing walked toward the little child and sat down next to him, folding his legs. A stronger sword Qi began to emerge from his body, forming a great, white dragon. The dragon encircled the white beam of light and flew toward the sky. In a few moments, the light beam became thinner and less powerful.
Bao Feiping's anxious heart finally relaxed. He could not help but exclaim. This time, the demonic attacks seemed to be a blessing in disguise. He did not think that after all these years of effort spent searching for a sword cultivator, one would willingly walk up to his doorstep. This only proved the Little An was not fated to die young.
"Please do not worry, City Lord," Lonemoon assured him, his eyes twinkling. He stepped toward the City Lord and continued, "My good friend over here is very reliable in whatever he does. Your little child will be alright. My friend just needs time to get rid of his sword Qi. The two of you were seriously injured in the battle against the demons earlier; you should probably get some rest." Bao Feiping hesitated for a few seconds before he finally brought himself to respond. He looked toward the man standing on Lonemoon's left and suddenly went pale. He rushed forward and asked, "Father, are you okay?"
"I'm alright!" The immortal swatted his son's hand away and looked back at his grandson in the beam of light. "I'll be fine after sitting for awhile," he said as he sank down onto the floor, closing his eyes to regulate his Qi. The regulation of his immortal Qi caused his injured arm to begin healing
Seeing that his father was resting, Bao Feiping finally retreated and turned toward Lonemoon, fists cupped. "Thank you for both of your help today. My Bao family will never forget what you have done for us. How should I address the two of you?"
"We are from Invincible Sect," Lonemoon replied, grinning. He pointed toward the man in the pillar of light and said, "He is Yi Qing. Beside him is Shen Ying. I am Lonemoon. We have all just ascended to immortality, so we are all Earth Immortals."
Bao Feiping paused. They had indeed just ascended to immortality, but he had never heard of Invincible Sect. Could it be a newly established sect? He was confused, but could not bring himself to ask about Invincible Sect. Politely, he said, "If not for your help today, there could have been major damage done to Qu Shuang City. We could have fallen into the hands of those demons."
"City Lord, you are too kind," Lonemoon replied. He glanced at the child in the pillar of light once again and said, "But I do not understand. Sword cultivators are born with the Primordial Soul Sword Qi in their meridians - this should only work out for their benefit. Why is the child… and he's even being plotted against by demons." From the demons to the people Shen Ying had defeated in the compounds; it was obvious that they were all after this child.
Bao Feiping looked shocked at Lonemoon's question. It was weird that Lonemoon knew about the Primordial Soul Sword Qi. However, on further thought, Lonemoon was accompanied by Yi Qing, who had an innate sword embodiment. It should be of no surprise that even Lonemoon knew about the Primordial Soul Sword Qi. He summoned an isolation array, sighed, and began to explain, "The Primordial Soul Sword Qi is indeed beneficial for sword cultivators, but this is not the case for my son." There was no point hiding anymore. Bao Feiping decided to tell Lonemoon everything he knew. "He had an innate sword embodiment, but he was also a born- immortal. He was born in the immortal realm and already had immortal bones when he came into this world. Without any need for training, he became an Earth Immortal. Because of this, the Primordial Soul Sword Qi in his body became stronger and stronger very rapidly. He's only eight years old this year, and his immortal body is very weak. He's definitely not strong enough to contain such strong sword Qi within his body. The Primordial Soul Sword Qi is known for being very aggressive. Apart from people with the innate sword embodiment, nobody else would be able to control it. That's why my father set up the suppressive array. He thought that it would be best to remove the array only when Little An becomes strong enough to contain the sword Qi in his body, but who knew…"
As if recalling something, Bao Feiping shook his head and continued, "Neither my father nor myself are sword immortals; we do not understand anything about this sword Qi. We didn't expect that the more we tried to suppress the Primordial Soul Sword Qi, the stronger it would get. But my son's body… is so susceptible to manipulation. That's why we built this Weighty Tower: First, to suppress the strengthening sword Qi within his body; Second, to hide his innate sword embodiment. All this time, we have also secretly been searching for another sword immortal like him." "But it isn't easy for sword cultivators to train. Fewer and fewer sword cultivators make it to immortality. Besides, not just any sword cultivator can help him - only those with the innate sword embodiment can. All these years, we searched high and low throughout this country and many others, yet we have not been able to find such an immortal to help my son. Three years ago, the sword Qi in his body suddenly exploded. My father used all of his power to re-suppress the sword Qi, but the strong surge of sword Qi in the area attracted people who sought to manipulate my son's body."
"Those demons?" Lonemoon asked.
"That's right!" Bao Feiping nodded. "In these three years, demons have not dared to enter this city. But they have enchanted several cultivators, causing them to enter my abode and attempt to kidnap my son and bring him out of the city. To this day, they have not succeeded. I did not think that the demons would dare to enter my abode this time."
So this was it. They were so lucky that they had come in the nick of time.
"We are really grateful to the two of you," Bao Feiping thanked Lonemoon once more. "Once my son is safe, I will definitely go to your sect and thank you officially."
"We are all fellow immortals. We are all on the same side, against the demons. This has always been the way my Invincible Sect works."
This was how Lonemoon chose to put it. But the fact remained that when the demons appeared, every immortal who did not reside in the City Lord's Abode ran for their own lives. Only Lonemoon and Yi Qing rushed in to their aid. Bao Feiping became even more overwhelmed with gratitude as he thought about this. "The fact that you are saying this is making me more interested in your sect. But I have never heard of it."
"It is a long story. My Invincible Sect…" Lonemoon's grin was so wide that his eyes were but slits. He suddenly realised that this was the perfect opportunity to fool Bao Feiping.
Shen Ying, who was watching all of this, suddenly let out a yawn. She glanced from Lonemoon to Bao Feiping, noticing that they were becoming more engrossed in conversation. They were getting on so well that it seemed like they were going to become sworn brothers soon. Then, she turned to glance at her chef, who was still hard at work.
I don't know how long more they will take. I'm so sleepy!
Hm, if I take a nap now, they probably wouldn't notice, would they?
——————
Once Yi Qing sat down, he did not get up for the rest of the night, until late the next morning. He and the child remained deep in focus the entire time. Lonemoon, on the other hand, had already struck a good deal with Bao Feiping.
Shen Ying had no idea how Father Niu managed to hoax the man. All she knew was that by the time she woke up from her nap, there were about ten more people in Invincible Sect. There were all sorts of talents too: pill cultivators, weapon masters, talisman masters and array masters. All of them were experts.
To put it nicely, both sides were co-operating to bring forth the best to the other party.
But the talents were theirs; the skills were theirs; even the sales channels were theirs.
All of the profits from these were… Invincible Sect's!
Lonemoon felt like he had gained a valuable egg-laying hen overnight. Shen Ying had nothing else to say other than "Good job".
"We'll be counting on you then, City Lord Bao." Lonemoon was smiling from ear to ear.
"Leave it to me, Fellow Immortal Lonemoon." Bao Feiping was smiling equally brightly, as if he was the one who was gaining the unfair advantage. "My Bao Abode is the one that's troubling your sect."
Even Bao Feiping's father- the strongest Exalted Immortal in Qu Shuang City, Bao Yi - was nodding profusely. He had woken up mid-way through and was dragged into the negotiations. "That's right, we are the ones who are troubling you!"
"After so long, we still don't know where your sect is located."
Lonemoon pulled a map out from within his robes and pointed to a spot at the edge of a piece of land. "Here!"
Bao Feiping paused. Then, he said guiltily, "Why is your sect located at such a deserted place? It is our fault for not noticing - that location is simply not befitting of a sect like yours! Why don't you choose another location with thicker immortal Qi? As long as it is within Qu Shuang City and you like it, we will give it to you!"
"That's right! As long as it is in Qu Shuang City, it is yours!" Bao Yi added.
Shen Ying: "…" What the hell!
It is decided: there will be extra dishes for lunch today!
Chapter 120: Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror
Lonemoon's eyes twinkled. He was just about to discuss the plan in further detail when he heard a soft clanking behind him, as if something was breaking into pieces. The light beam which had illuminated the night sky previously had suddenly disappeared.
"Little An!" Bao Feiping exclaimed, running toward his child. He rushed forward and caught him as he was falling to the ground. "How are you? Are you alright?"
The child's eyes fluttered open. Then, he responded in a weak voice, "Father."
Bao Yi rushed to join the group as well. "Little An…"
"Grandfather."
Bao Feiping quickly checked his son's pulse. After a few seconds, he heaved a sigh of relief before turning to Yi Qing. "Thank you for all your help, Fellow Immortal. We are forever grateful."
Yi Qing shook his head and replied, "Don't worry." He took in a deep breath and got to his feet. In a low voice, he said, "The Sword Qi… in his body is clear. But… I don't know when he will relapse. He has to… quickly learn to control the sword Qi in his body."
The two other immortals stared blankly back at Yi Qing with worried looks on both of their faces.
Shen Ying turned to look at her chef, walking toward him and frowning.
"Can I ask you, Fellow Immortal, when the sword Qi will relapse?" Bao Yi stepped forward, cupping his fists.
"I don't know," Yi Qing answered.
"How should he control the Primordial Soul Sword Qi?" "Over years of hard work… and training."
"Well…" The father looked more anxious than before.This meant that his son had to train continuously in order to learn to use the sword Qi to his benefit. But Little An was only eight. How could he be expected to fight the raging sword Qi inside his body?
Bao Yi and Bao Feiping exchanged a meaningful look, as if they had already decided on something.
Then, Bao Yi took another stepped forward with his fists still cupped. "Fellow Immortal Yi Qing, I know that you are like Lonemoon - full of benevolence and justice. I, Bao Yi, have never begged anyone for anything before. But I do have something to ask of you today, Fellow Immortal…"
"Chef!" Before Bao Yi could finish speaking, Shen Ying interrupted him and stepped between the two of them.
Bao Yi paused, then continued as if nothing had happened, "Fellow Immortal, actually I…" "Shut up!" Shen Ying suddenly shouted, glaring at him. They felt a palpable aura fill the air around them, and Bao Yi felt a weird force pressing on his body. He fell silent. It was as if he was facing death. His body began to break out in cold sweat. He tried to focus his gaze onto Shen Ying, but saw that she had already turned back around.
Was that his imagination?
Shen Ying reached out to help Yi Qing up. "What's wrong?"
Yi Qing stared at Shen Ying, feeling a strange warm feeling in his heart. He spoke in a low and weak voice, "Master." She could tell.
Suddenly…
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Holy shit!" Lonemoon came back to his senses, shocked. He ran toward Yi Qing and Shen Ying, helping to support Yi Qing and help him get to his feet. "Hey, hey, hey. Don't scare us. Didn't you just say you were fine?"
When Lonemoon saw Yi Qing walk into the beam of light without hesitation, he thought this would be an easy task for Yi Qing. What's going on now?
He quickly felt Yi Qing's pulse as Bao Yi moved to grab Yi Qing's other hand. Immediately, their expressions changed. Both of them turned to Yi Qing, shocked.
"Talk!" Shen Ying said.
"There are two types of sword Qi in his body, attacking each other!" Lonemoon said, his expression darkening. "He's suppressing the sword Qi, but he has already major injuries to his meridians."
"Master… I'm fine." I must complete the task that Master has assigned to me! "Fine my ass!" Lonemoon glared at him. "Your meridians are all damaged. How are you fine?"
"My Little An did this to him!" Bao Yi was wrecked with guilt. "He was handling Little An's sword Qi for way too long - the sword Qi managed to invade his body and attack his own innate sword Qi. That is the cause of the conflict happening within his body."
"What's the solution?" Shen Ying pressed.
Lonemoon and Bao Yi exchanged a meaningful glance. "Only he can get rid of the sword Qi in his body. He could also try to suppress it but this would take an incredibly long time…"
"How long?"
"A few hundred years, or… a few thousand." And he would have to endure the pain of the sword Qi fighting within his body for that entire time. "Shit!" Shen Ying looked extremely furious now. That's far too long!
Bao Yi frowned and turned to face his son. "Feiping, get the Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror!"
"Huh? Ah!" Bao Feiping's eyes widened. He answered, "That's the previous Country Lord's gift to Qu Shuang City. It's a valuable treasure, and it can only be used…"
He was interrupted by the intensity of Bao Yi''s glare.
Bao Feiping paused and then felt immense guilt. He apologised, "Feiping is being too narrow-minded. I will retrieve the Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror now." They saved Little An's life after all. How valuable was an immortal weapon compared to that?
He turned around and walked brusquely away toward the front yard. He returned within minutes, carrying with him a bronze mirror. He handed the mirror over to Bao Yi. "This is the Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror," Bao Yi explained. "It contains a dimension made with half of an immortal's meridian. Entering the mirror is akin to going into the immortal meridian. The immortal Qi in that space will help our fellow immortal control the sword Qi within his body. Given his understanding of the Primordial Soul Sword Qi, I believe our immortal friend can do something during that time to get rid of the excess sword Qi in his body now. What's more… time and space works differently in that dimension compared to the immortal realm. It moves at least a hundred times slower, so our immortal friend would not have to be worried about time. I wonder if he would be willing to give it a shot?"
Yi Qing glanced at the bronze mirror in Bao Yi's hands, then at Shen Ying. Frowning, he faced Lonemoon and said, "Father Niu, Mas-"
"Okay!" Lonemoon rolled his eyes before Yi Qing could finish speaking. "It's just food. Don't worry, I won't starve her. Quick, get out of here!"
I've had enough of your retarded ways!
Yi Qing visibly relaxed, but something was obviously still bothering him. Hmph! You've lucked out!
Shen Ying: "…" For some reason, she felt as though she were being looked down upon.
The Bao father and son: "…" What does that mean? What exactly are they saying?
"Thank you, Exalted Immortal Bao!" Yi Qing thanked Bao Yi.
Bao Yi conjured a seal and muttered a curse over the immortal weapon in his hands. The mirror began to reflect a blinding white light. He angled the mirror so that the light reflected on a spot on Yi Qing's forehead. Suddenly, the light engulfed his entire body.
"Fellow Immortal Yi Qing," Bao Feiping hurriedly instructed, "This Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror can only be used once. After you get rid of the excess sword Qi in your body, don't rush to come out." The immortal Qi in that dimension can be very helpful. "Thank you," Yi Qing nodded. The white light swallowed his body as Yi Qing entered the realm in the mirror. The mirror, which was clear and bright at first, was now only reflecting a white mist. They could no longer even see their own reflections in it.
Everybody heaved a deep sigh of relief. Bao Yi handed the mirror over to Lonemoon and said, "Fellow Immortal Yi Qing needs time to get rid of the excess sword Qi in his body. Why don't the two of you remain in our abode while waiting?"
Lonemoon paused. Travelling back and forth would indeed be very troublesome, and the mirror did belong to the Bao Family. It would be more appropriate for them to remain in their abode instead of returning to Invincible Sect. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Exalted Immortal, we will have to trouble you then!" He thought for awhile and added, "I wonder how long you expect my fellow immortal to take?"
"Time works differently inside the mirror, but I'm not sure exactly how different time works because the mirror can only be used once. I've heard that a day in the immortal realm is equal to at least a hundred years in the mirror. Given that there's immortal QI from half an immortal's meridian inside there, normal immortals would need at least a thousand years to reap the full benefits of the immortal Qi."
"I see…" That means that Yi Qing would be in the mirror for at least ten days.
"So don't worry, Fellow Immortals. Wait for half a month-"
"Master!" Before Bao Yi could finish speaking, the mirror in Lonemoon's hands broke into pieces. A familiar figure appeared in front of them, tugging at Shen Ying's sleeve. "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper?"
Shen Ying: "…"
Lonemoon: "…"
The three people from the Bao Family: "…"