Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 42

“…” Yue Tingxi truly could not understand Miss Lan’s gaze.

But after some thought, she realized that if an old friend, with whom she had grown up, acquired a rare material in a secret realm, and could eventually refine it to greatly improve their cultivation, she would naturally feel happy for her.

With this in mind, she turned to the person in her arms and said, “Congratulations.”

Since it was something worth celebrating, it was only proper to offer her congratulations.

Qin Suoliu responded softly, and while leaning against Yue Tingxi, she instinctively sniffed her, only to detect the lingering scent of her own blood, causing her to feel annoyed.

Yue Tingxi did not notice this small action, instead focusing intently, briefly describing to Lan Fengqing the scene inside the Dantian just now, and asked worriedly, “Has it been refined?”

After all, it was her suggestion that led Qin Suoliu to collect the spirit plant. She had not expected such danger—what if something had happened to Qin Suoliu…?

“I believe the spirit plant has only been sealed by your water-element energy. As long as the seal is strong enough, Sister Qin can slowly refine its fire-element energy, eventually absorbing all of it,” Lan Fengqing explained. “If fully refined, Sister Qin’s cultivation might reach the Out-of-Body stage.”

“Such a powerful spirit plant?!” Yue Tingxi’s eyes widened. “I’m only at the late stage of Nascent Soul myself!”

“Spirit plants have stages too. The energy they emit affects the soul. For humans, it’s comparable to already mastering the method to breakthrough to the Out-of-Body stage,” Lan Fengqing clarified. “Therefore, refining it is akin to refining a Nascent Core of an Out-of-Body cultivator.”

She paused. “However, before fully refining it, the water-element seal must be reinforced regularly. Otherwise, the consequences could be disastrous, as the plant now knows what will happen if it does not resist fully.”

Even without her saying it outright, Yue Tingxi understood the implication.

“If you feel the seal weakening, tell me immediately,” she instructed Qin Suoliu, looking down.

She intended to keep a close eye on the little trickster anyway. Moreover, since the plant had entered Qin Suoliu’s body, she felt partly responsible.

Twenty years ago, she had even helped “Azi” change clothes and bathe, and had recently examined Miss Qin’s meridians—a grown-up version of little Azi, nothing more to overthink.

Qin Suoliu silently nodded. “Let’s return to Yunzhou first; it’s not safe here.”

Perhaps because the spirit plant was within her, she could sense fire-element energy all around, yet all she saw was a tranquil pool—a strange and unstable scene, unsuitable to linger.

“I want to collect this pool of water first,” she thought aloud.

Lan Fengqing immediately said, “The Yin-Yang Fish Plate seems to like it. It shivered as soon as I entered the cave.”

“This water truly is extraordinary,” Yue Tingxi said, sharing her earlier discovery, reflecting, “I managed to seal the spirit plant so quickly because I imitated them.”

“So it is! That’s wonderful!” Lan Fengqing’s eyes lit up. “I’ll store all of it in the Yin-Yang Fish Plate! Whether shallow or deep layers, it will be useful for any future obstacles!”

Yue Tingxi, having detected no immediate danger, only reminded her to “be careful” and watched her gleefully summon the Yin-Yang Fish Plate, swallowing a pool of water like a giant mouth.

During this, Qin Suoliu closed her eyes and absorbed some of the fire-element energy from the spirit plant, letting it integrate into her meridians.

However, when she stood to return to Yunzhou, she felt a heavy ache in her lower abdomen, which also felt swollen.

“Hmm… this symptom is somewhat similar to a human woman’s menstrual period, yet cultivators shouldn’t have such things…” Lan Fengqing frowned, puzzled. “Perhaps it’s because you absorbed too much high-level spirit energy in a short time; your Dantian can’t handle it.”

She analyzed this as Yue Tingxi summoned her leaf-shaped artifact, placing it before Qin Suoliu. “Sit on this to return.”

Before Qin Suoliu could thank her, she told Lan Fengqing, “You come too; I have white crane wings and can fly myself.”

On the way back, Yue Tingxi led with the gray moth flying ahead, while the two young ladies sat on the leaf-shaped artifact, following at a measured distance.

“Sister Tingxi is really reliable and thoughtful,” Lan Fengqing transmitted to Qin Suoliu.

“Don’t make things difficult for me,” Qin Suoliu frowned and responded in kind.

“Why wait to cultivate a bond until after everything is done? Just like twenty years ago, wouldn’t you forget each other then?” Lan Fengqing continued. “Who, returning from the mountains the first day, hugged me and cried, then twenty years passed without daring to visit her again, afraid of stirring emotions.”

Qin Suoliu’s abdomen already ached, now her head began to hurt as well.

She could not reveal her past grievances with Yue Tingxi to her old friend, so she turned her face and sighed, pretending Lan Fengqing was speaking in drunken madness, fortunately out of earshot.

Back at Yunzhou, Qin Suoliu meditated to recover and refine the spirit plant, with Yue Tingxi and Lan Fengqing keeping watch over the map.

At this moment, the gray moth landed on a location on the relic layer of the map, spreading a silver-gray glow.

“…So we’ve been transported this deep into the area,” Yue Tingxi clicked her tongue upon seeing the light point. “No wonder there was no one along the way, but it also indicates the location of a secret treasure.”

And it was the gray moth that guided her.

Lan Fengqing looked at the gray moth, then at the golden treasure chest drawn on the map. “Once Sister Qin recovers, we’ll go there.”

Unlike the ghost-domain secret realm opened two years later, their trip into the Xuanwater Secret Realm was solely to search for resources—either to enhance cultivation or to obtain powerful artifacts—opportunities to deal with the soul-stealer.

Yue Tingxi obliged but remained concerned about the gray moth.

Since secret realms are closest to the World Consciousness, how should they meet it? Through a trial? Wait for the World Consciousness to invite them? Or should they first improve their cultivation?

“Despite Sister Qin’s fearlessness, she has many fears,” Lan Fengqing said, raising her eyes to see a soundproof barrier forming around them.

“She fears losing family most, followed by losing friends as dear as family,” Lan Fengqing explained. “Once she learned an old friend was replaced by a soul-stealer, apart from anger and vigilance, she would want to kill the soul-stealer more than anyone else.”

“My elder brother is upright and righteous, yet even he could not escape disaster. If the soul-stealer plans something, how could ordinary people survive?”

“Right and wrong, good and evil—I discern for myself,” Yue Tingxi smiled at the little girl. “I assist her against the soul-stealer partly out of past feelings, and also… that soul-stealer has a deadly grudge against me.”

Since they were on the same side, and considering they would later act as bait for the soul-stealer in the secret realm, Yue Tingxi decided to share: “In truth, I am the sudden bride of the soul-stealer. He used puppet techniques on me in my hometown, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t escape. I had to watch myself end up in Qingxu Sect, wearing a red bridal veil.”

Lan Fengqing was stunned.

“No wonder the bride disappeared after the wedding night, and you went to seek Sister Qin, becoming a mysterious benefactor!” Recovering, Lan Fengqing said embarrassedly, “I had been wondering who that woman was, whether by choice or forced, and why she vanished on her wedding night.”

“If forced, she too is a victim. But I don’t understand why the soul-stealer insisted on marrying her. I thought it was more than to anger Sister Qin…” Yue Tingxi gave her a helpless look. “I considered many possibilities, but never imagined it would be you.”

Yue Tingxi did not know Lan Fengqing had recognized her yet. “I cannot explain everything now, but our goals align. The soul-stealer has dealings with the Tongyou Master and possibly demons. Leaving him unchecked would cause calamity in the human world.”

“Undead armies and rampant demons—I would rather die than see such a scene!”

In the previous life, the undead army destroyed the Qin family. When demons returned, the sects finally had reason to act. Xi Mountain was left in ruin.

“In extreme circumstances, evil deeds flourish,” Lan Fengqing said solemnly. “I will not allow this!”

Having reached consensus, Yue Tingxi continued: “The soul-stealer told Tongyou Master He Shen that he wishes to unify the human world through demon calamity and use all sect masters’ power to open the path to the Upper Realm. Your thoughts?”

Qin Suoliu had yet to reveal the World Consciousness and the invader; Yue Tingxi asked indirectly.

“The method of breaking realms to ascend is recorded in ancient texts. Long ago, immortals and the immortal realm existed. Later, the path to ascend was sealed, and even cultivators reaching the Great Perfection cannot ascend.” Lan Fengqing recalled.

“Forcing a breakthrough risks death. Either the soul leaves the body in time and reincarnates, starting over, or, like a ‘whale fall’… the spirit disperses completely.”

“The soul-stealer’s method… compared to gathering sect masters’ power, likely involves large-scale killing, using resentment energy to break the celestial barrier.”

Yue Tingxi agreed.

The Tongyou Masters and demons were not tolerated in the mortal world because they manipulate life and death, devising nearly world-ending techniques.

Since the mortal world is the foundation of the immortal world, its destruction would affect the latter. Even if the soul-stealer could reopen ascension, it would cost countless innocent lives, including their loved ones.

When Qin Suoliu finished refining and opened her eyes, she saw Yue Tingxi and Lan Fengqing conversing solemnly behind the barrier.

Thinking of Lan Fengqing’s words on the way back, she stepped forward to lightly tap the barrier.

Lan Fengqing promptly removed it, nodding at Yue Tingxi with determination.

Yue Tingxi returned the encouraging gaze, then asked Qin Suoliu: “How do you feel? Should we reinforce the seal?”

“No need. It seems unusually well-behaved now, not as unruly as when it first entered my body.” Qin Suoliu shook her head, “If anything happens, I will tell you immediately.”

After checking their artifacts and supplies and reviewing their disguises, the three left Yunzhou, hiding it, and flew toward the treasure chest on the map using a floating stone platform with railings.

After about half an hour, they heard the clash of weapons and spells ahead.

Secret realms often involve battles with treasure guardians or deadly fights over relics.

Soon, they saw the result of the battle:

Two factions fought to the death, not disguised, wearing their sect uniforms.

“Dao Hai Tang and Zhaixing Pavilion,” Yue Tingxi recalled from the human world rules. “Zhaixing Pavilion usually takes only celestial or fate-related artifacts. Now they are fighting Dao Hai Tang, killing so many—it seems they want that artifact badly.”

During her explanation, a Zhaixing disciple was cut while casting a spell, screaming in pain. A Dao Hai disciple was blasted back by a star flare, hitting a wall, then exploding.

Both sides noticed the three newcomers but dared not attack, fearing they might choose sides.

“What do you want to do? Help, leave, or profit from the situation?” Qin Suoliu asked.

“I’ll help Zhaixing Pavilion.” Yue Tingxi wrapped the Black Crane Whip around her hand. “They’re good at divination; if we help them win, they might tell me about my curiosity.”

She wanted to know if Qin Yin Guang and the gray moth were of the same kind.

“I do have a question too,” Lan Fengqing took out a suona.

Qin Suoliu drew her single blade and charged into the enemy.

To avoid recognition, she wielded only a single sword this time.

With a battle tune, she infused the blade with red fire energy and attacked a male disciple’s back without hesitation.

Even foreseeing their eventual intervention, the disciple was caught off guard; his sword split in half, and the next instant, scorching heat struck him.

Qin Suoliu moved like a red butterfly, cutting through enemy after enemy.

Yue Tingxi carefully followed, concerned for the spirit plant, using her whip to restrain anyone trying to interfere.

The elders and disciples of Zhaixing Pavilion were amazed, as the three strangers turned the tide.

“Form a formation! Protect them!” shouted a female elder, summoning a Great Dipper array to heal and shield them.

Dao Hai Tang, seeing this, had no choice but to retreat.

Once Dao Hai Tang fled, Qin Suoliu searched the fallen for storage artifacts.

Water-element energy cleansed her body and blade—likely Yue Tingxi tidying up.

The Zhaixing Pavilion elder and disciples, grateful, led them to a stone cavern housing a divination artifact.

Yue Tingxi noticed the gray moth again.

Lan Fengqing reassured: “Don’t worry too much; success depends on effort.”

Yue Tingxi exhaled, placing a hand over her heart.

Though she never witnessed the past calamity, records described it vividly—countless demon deaths could not be reversed.

Immersed in grim memories, she felt warm arms around her.

“I’m here,” Qin Suoliu whispered. “I’ll always be here.”

She would never enter the demon realm again.

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