The Three-Month Deadline Has Arrived, Gu Shi Should Go.
Without further ado, stepping out of the council hall, Gu Shi accompanied Gu Yan to the Scripture Pavilion.
Along the way, Gu Shi asked Gu Yan about the little red bird. “Dad, can you tell what breed the little red bird I brought back is?”
Although Gu Yan hadn’t touched the little red bird, he examined it carefully several times, yet he didn’t recognize its breed. “Later, I’ll draw a portrait and send it to Sect Master Luo to see. Although the bird has no spiritual power, since it came out of the West Continent Secret Realm, its background must be extraordinary.”
In this world, there were four major sects and twelve minor factions, with the Luoqing Sect specializing in raising spiritual beasts. Sect Master Luo was the head of the Luoqing Sect, and it could be said that there was no spiritual beast in this world that he didn’t recognize.
Mentioning the little red bird, Gu Yan let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “Let’s hope it’s not that useful.”
Gu Shi knew what he was worrying about, knowing that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. “Dad, the little red bird is just something I casually picked up on the way back, not from the West Continent Secret Realm. The reason I said that was simply to buy us some time.”
The authenticity of the little red bird could only be verified when the West Continent Secret Realm opened, which would take at least a few months. For a once-in-a-millennium genius, a few months was enough to change a lot.
Gu Yan understood his meaning, letting out a heavy sigh of relief upon learning that the little red bird was not from the West Continent Secret Realm. Although items from the West Continent Secret Realm could not be taken away, every sect in the current world knew it was filled with treasures. They even knew its exact location, just waiting for the day the restrictions were lifted to reap the rewards.
Arriving at the Scripture Pavilion, Gu Yan led Gu Shi directly to the top floor. The cultivation manuals and scrolls placed here were the top-tier ones of the Yuandao Sect. Although top-tier, the highest grade among them was only Earth-rank.
The grades weren’t high, but the categories were complete: Dharma cultivators, physical cultivators, formation cultivators, alchemy cultivators, talisman cultivators, medicine cultivators, gu cultivators, and artifact cultivators. Everything was available.
Gu Yan said, “With thin spiritual power and limited talent, ordinary cultivators usually practice multiple disciplines to have something to fall back on. But you are different. Your talent is high, so focusing on one discipline is enough.”
Gu Shi didn’t hesitate much and ultimately decided to become an artifact cultivator.
Gu Yan wasn’t surprised either. According to his spiritual root attributes, he picked up a copy of the Blazing Sun Art and handed it to him. “Although it’s only an Earth-rank cultivation manual, it’s already the best one the Yuandao Sect has. It’s a bit lacking for your talent, but you can only practice it first and take it one step at a time.”
Gu Shi nodded and put away the Blazing Sun Art.
With the cultivation manual chosen, next came selecting a weapon. Gu Yan led Gu Shi to the armory. The armory was huge, containing everything: swords, sabers, whips, spears, hammers, bows, rulers, seals, clubs, staves, guqin, flutes, axes, darts, and fans.
Gu Shi looked around and chose a sword.
Gu Yan said, “Name your sword.”
Gu Shi pondered for a moment. “Lingyun.”
Embarking on a journey with the wind, soaring high into the clouds.
Gu Yan showed undisguised praise. “Good, what a great ambition! As expected of my, Gu Yan’s, son.”
Under Yu Chanxin’s guidance, Gu Shi successfully guided spiritual energy into his body in just one day. The rest was bitter cultivation and refining the spiritual power for his own use.
After practicing day and night for three days, Gu Shi truly understood what thin spiritual power meant. It was like a neighbor three buildings away stewing pork ribs; the aroma drifted over from time to time, being faint, ethereal, and intermittent.
Time waits for no one, and Gu Shi immediately decided to go to the West Continent Secret Realm again to try his luck. “Dad, I plan to make another trip to the West Continent Secret Realm and ask the senior to help me once more.”
Gu Yan didn’t stop him either, only preparing generous gifts. “Go ahead.”
Carrying the gifts, Gu Shi once again embarked on the journey to the West Continent. Using the acceleration talisman specially crafted by Feng Wusheng, he reached the West Continent Secret Realm in less than a day.
Gu Shi came to his usual spot, knelt down properly, cupped his hands, and said, “Senior Feng, this junior has come to disturb you again. This junior’s family has suffered a sudden misfortune, and sect disciples have been abducted by villains. This junior urgently needs to improve his cultivation to rescue them back. Therefore, I have prepared some meager gifts. Please, senior, open a convenient door and let this junior enter the secret realm to cultivate. This junior kowtows in gratitude.”
Gu Shi knocked his head heavily three times, his forehead pressing against the soft soil and making a pit in it. But aside from the sound of the wind sweeping through the forest, there was nothing.
Gu Shi knelt for a whole day without any strange phenomena appearing. He understood this meant a refusal, so he didn’t delay much longer. “It was this junior who overstepped; please do not blame me, senior. This junior will come again in three months.” With that, he neatly knocked his head three times again, got up, and returned to the Yuandao Sect.
Seeing Gu Shi return, Gu Yan knew the trip had failed and comforted him, saying, “Being able to obtain a spiritual root is already a great opportunity. The senior probably has other considerations, so let’s just cultivate solidly.”
Gu Shi nodded. Although disappointed, he wasn’t discouraged. “Originally, I was just going to try my luck anyway. How could every good thing happen to me every time? I will calm my mind and cultivate. Dad, you can rest assured.”
Gu Yan said, “If you encounter anything you don’t understand, come find me anytime.”
Yu Chanxin looked at him with disdain from the side. “Rest assured, we don’t need you. Hurry up and leave, and don’t make my disciple soft.”
Gu Yan patted Gu Shi’s shoulder without lingering and left Little Lotus Peak.
From then on, Gu Shi stayed on Little Lotus Peak, sleeping only three hours a day and spending the rest of the time cultivating or practicing the sword. Yu Chanxin guided him as painstakingly as he had promised, watching him almost constantly except when sleeping, personally teaching every movement and posture. Whenever Gu Shi had the slightest doubt, it would be resolved for him immediately.
Wen Qingtang was not to be outdone either, personally refining many pills for Gu Shi, including Qi-Replenishing Pills, Spirit-Gathering Pills, Foundation-Nurturing Pills, and Blood-Enhancing Pills, allowing Gu Shi to eat them like candy every day.
In just three months, Gu Shi had already reached the third layer of Qi Refining, a progress that even surpassed Shen Yunsheng’s record.
The three-month deadline had arrived, and Gu Shi was due to keep his appointment with Feng Yingbai.
Gu Yan, Yu Chanxin, and Wen Qingtang were all very curious about what kind of appointment it was, but Gu Shi really couldn’t tell the truth, so he made up a lie: “The senior’s cave dwelling is uninhabited and uncleaned, so they asked me to go clean it once every three months.”
This excuse was quite weak, especially since even newly initiated Qi Refining disciples knew the Dust-Removal Incantation. However, an elite was an elite, and everyone would help smooth over the logic for any decision he made.
Gu Yan said, “The secret realm is desolate and cold; they probably just want someone to talk to.”
Yu Chanxin agreed with him for once. “Do a good job and strive to stay in the secret realm longer.”
Before leaving, Wen Qingtang had his disciples make plenty of pastries and dishes. “There’s nothing good to eat in the secret realm. Take these so you don’t go hungry.”
Gu Shi packed several tables’ worth of food. Anyway, he had a storage bag, so even more wouldn’t spoil. “Dad, Second Senior Uncle, Junior Uncle, I’m leaving.”
Partings are always sorrowful. Although the three felt reluctant, they didn’t say much, simply nodding and giving one final warning: “Be careful in everything.”
This was Gu Shi’s fourth time coming to the West Continent Secret Realm. Before he even dismounted from his paper crane, he was grabbed by a familiar force.
A flash of white light, still the familiar white light, the familiar cave dwelling, and beneath him was the peerless face of his nocturnal dreams. If it weren’t for his neck being choked, Gu Shi might have kept the illusion that the beauty and expert treated him specially. But the scorching pressure on his neck hot enough to melt someone made Gu Shi dare not harbor any illusions, leaving him unable even to utter a cry for help. He didn’t even doubt that he would die here.
Feng Yingbai gripped his neck, watching Gu Shi’s entire face turn a dark, congested red, then suddenly flipped over to pin Gu Shi underneath him, leaning down to bite fiercely into Gu Shi’s lips. Gu Shi didn’t know how much strength was put into that bite; he only felt fresh blood welling up, flowing through the gap of his lips into his mouth, but because he was being choked he couldn’t swallow it, and it trickled down the corner of his mouth instead. Only a strong, metallic rust taste spread in his mouth.
Just as Gu Shi was about to suffocate, the restriction on his throat loosened. Gu Shi opened his mouth wide, panting heavily like a fish out of water.
A scorching heat emanated from Feng Yingbai without warning, and cracks began to appear on his body like a whole sheet of glass struck by a bullet, spreading in all directions until they covered his entire body.
Gu Shi watched with his own eyes as Feng Yingbai’s body began to turn red, resembling a boiled shrimp. At the same time, Gu Shi distinctly felt the temperature in the cave rise sharply. He hadn’t thought about the reason before, but after three months of cultivation, he could now sense that there was an array hidden in the cave. A guess arose in his heart: perhaps Feng Yingbai was imprisoned here.
However, there was no time for him to ponder further. Feng Yingbai skillfully pulled open his robes, and the already thin-as-nothing garments now served merely as decorations.
Having almost been choked to death just moments ago, Gu Shi still harbored lingering resentment in his heart. However, he had no choice, and he even had requests to make of the other person. Talking about self-esteem without any capability was far too illusory.
Gu Shi stopped romanticizing this intimate encounter, treating it purely as a task, which was a task that had to be completed and executed to absolute perfection.
With the experience of the previous two times, especially since Gu Shi had laid down his pride and treated himself merely as a tool to complete a task, he felt right at home. Furthermore, Gu Shi made an astonishing discovery: his cultivation level was shooting up by leaps and bounds along with their union.
Fourth layer of Qi Refining, fifth layer, sixth layer, seventh layer, eighth layer, ninth layer.
His cultivation skyrocketed like a rocket. This could no longer be called Gu Shi lowering his pride to serve someone; it was entirely Feng Yingbai sacrificing himself. Moreover, he didn’t feel the drained sensation from before; instead, he grew increasingly energetic. Gu Shi even harbored a secret thought that as long as Feng Yingbai could endure it, he could keep going until ascension.
Gu Shi’s cultivation kept rising, and soon the tribulation lightning for Foundation Establishment arrived. Separated by the mountain cave, Gu Shi could still hear the rolling thunder. This was his first time undergoing tribulation lightning, and he still felt somewhat apprehensive, especially given his current state, which made him feel extremely guilty. He lowered his gaze to look at Feng Yingbai, who had closed his eyes from exhaustion beneath him, and whispered softly for instructions, “Senior Feng, can I go outside to undergo the tribulation first?”
“Ignore it, continue.” Feng Yingbai’s voice sounded soaked in water. The cracks all over his body had vanished, but his skin was still burning hot, carrying the burning sensation of passion.
Gu Shi didn’t understand why he could ignore it, but since the expert had spoken, naturally he dared not disobey and didn’t stop for a second. Very soon, however, he found out why it could be ignored.
Heavenly lightning appeared out of thin air, illuminating the entire cave with a pale, brilliant glare. The moment the heavenly lightning appeared, raging fires suddenly ignited within the cave, wrapping around the heavenly lightning like snakes. Gu Shi stole a glance and saw the light of an array glowing on the ground. The color of that light was extremely bewitching, being black mixed with a faint hint of red, looking ghost-like and mesmerizing.
Within a short moment, the raging fire vanished completely, and the remaining heavenly lightning rushed toward Gu Shi. Gu Shi turned pale with fright, and before he could figure out how to resist the heavenly lightning, Feng Yingbai suddenly reached out and accurately grabbed it. The moment the heavenly lightning touched him, it exploded like fireworks, scattering into tiny points of white light that drifted away and vanished into nothingness.
Gu Shi stared in disbelief at Feng Yingbai. Throughout the entire process, Feng Yingbai hadn’t even opened his eyes, as if he had merely swatted away a completely unthreatening mosquito.
Gu Shi was shocked. What on earth was this?
What kind of divine being was Feng Yingbai to be able to effortlessly dissipate heavenly lightning?
In a split second, the trace of insignificant resentment in Gu Shi’s heart vanished just like the heavenly lightning. Facing an existence like this, he probably couldn’t afford to provoke them even if he added several lifetimes together.