Chapter 1149: Yun Mengmeng’s Weapon
As the kind person he was, Lu Yang could tell that Qing He was putting on a brave front. Although we are rivals and merely officials serving the same court, there is no need for our relationship to become so strained.
I offered a few words of comfort, but that only seemed to make Senior Qing He sadder.
The bond between master and servant truly runs deep. She grieves just at the sight of the Immortal Fairy reduced to nothing but an immortal soul. Lu Yang sighed. This is an emotion I’ve never experienced. Since the day I first met the Immortal Fairy, she has been in a soul state. I’m already accustomed to it by now.
Lu Yang had always been honest. Unless he had experienced it himself, he would never utter platitudes like “I understand how you feel, Senior Qing He.”
It looks like the Immortal Fairy should continue residing in my mental space. As for the matter of forming an immortal body, I shall not bring it up with Senior Qing He again, lest it stir up sorrowful memories.
“As I thought, it truly was an impossible future,” Lu Yang remarked, confirming that he had been overthinking things.
“First-in-Command, Second-in-Command, look! These are the spirit fruits I cultivated using Senior Caiwei’s methods!”
Yun Mengmeng brushed past Qing He and trotted over to Lu Yang, opening her small hands to reveal several pale golden fruits.
“What are these?” Lu Yang noticed that they resembled Everlasting Immortal Fruits.
“Everlasting Spirit Fruits cultivated with the Everlasting Incipient Dao Fruit!”
“Now that’s something new. Let me have a taste.”
Before Yun Mengmeng could stop him, Lu Yang popped one of the Everlasting Spirit Fruits into his mouth.
“So hard!”
Lu Yang bit down and nearly chipped a tooth. Although I didn’t use my full strength, I still possess an immortal body. How could I struggle to eat a mere fruit?
“Those aren’t ripe yet,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy said. She often cultivated spirit fruits and immortal fruits in the past.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Unripe ones have their uses too.” With that, Yun Mengmeng demonstrated it for Lu Yang.
She pinched one of the spirit fruits and hurled it into the distance, smashing a deep crater in the ground.
She made a retrieving gesture, and the spirit fruit flew back to her hand, completely intact.
“I’ve discovered that unripe Everlasting Spirit Fruits make excellent weapons!” Yun Mengmeng proudly showed off the spirit fruits in her hands.
From today onward, I’m a cultivator with weapons. I no longer have to rely solely on throwing punches and kicks.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy nodded in satisfaction. As expected of the Third-in-Command. “Not bad. You have some of this immortal’s youthful—ah, no, juvenile—no, that’s still not right...”
She had wanted to say that Yun Mengmeng carried a hint of her bearing from her younger days. But wouldn’t that imply that I’m no longer young?
“In any case, you have some of this immortal’s bearing, but it’s still not enough.”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy controlled one of the spirit fruits and tossed it with a whoosh. It exploded with a boom, kicking up hundred-zhang shockwaves, its power far surpassing Yun Mengmeng’s earlier demonstration.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy followed with a retrieving gesture, and the spirit fruit flew back.
Lu Yang was dumbfounded. “Spirit fruits can detonate, too?”
With her hands clasped behind her back, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy lifted her chin slightly as she tried to adopt the bearing of a grandmaster. “Of course. Everlasting Spirit Fruits are products of the Everlasting Lineage. Is there anything in our lineage that can’t self-detonate?”
Lu Yang silently reflected. No wonder Senior Qing He has never joined the Everlasting Lineage. She truly doesn’t meet the qualifications to do so.
“Although the explosive power can’t compare to our own self-detonation, it’s still passable.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy gave Yun Mengmeng some pointers.
Yun Mengmeng quickly grasped most of it and was soon having a fun time playing with her new skill.
Little Zhi really treats me well. If not for Little Zhi introducing me to the Everlasting Lineage, I would still be struggling to figure out how to use the Everlasting Incipient Dao Fruit.
Spring passed, and autumn came. In a flash, it was time for dinner.
Yun Mengmeng had baked an assortment of flavored biscuits for everyone to sample, humbly accepting their compliments.
“It’s not as good as you say. It’s all because the First-in-Command and the Second-in-Command taught me well.”
After dinner, Lu Yang sensed a figure stumbling toward them from not far away.
He pondered for a moment. Generally speaking, the ancestral temple’s existence shouldn’t be revealed to outsiders, but this person appears to be in danger. As the saying goes, “saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.” I should help.
~~~
“There’s a temple...”
Yue Changhe had traveled a long distance, nearly at his breaking point. Although finding a temple in the middle of the desert was strange, he couldn’t afford to care so much now. Any place to rest would do.
“Great Dou Temple.”
Oddly enough, the moment he stepped through the temple gates, a fragrant aroma assailed his nostrils. The scent restored some of his strength, even though it was fleeting.
“Thank you, Bodhisattvas. Yue Changhe requests lodging here for the night.” He bowed to each statue in turn.
When he looked up, he noticed that the bodhisattvas’ forms were somewhat peculiar.
They seem to be eating biscuits.
Yue Changhe didn’t dwell on it. He swallowed a pill and leaned against a pillar, soon falling asleep.
“Found you!”
The stern voice startled Yue Changhe, who scrambled to his feet.
Outside the temple, an eagle landed and transformed into a man with eagle eyes.
“As I thought, you are here!”
An elderly monk strode into the ancestral temple. He looked fierce and malevolent, thanks to a long scar running from his right eye all the way to the corner of his mouth.
“Yue Changhe, you possess both human and demon blood, which is truly rare. Come back with me!” The man with eagle eyes smiled sinisterly. After chasing for so long, I’ve finally caught up.
“He should be coming back with me instead!” The elderly monk sneered, showing no sign of backing down, his eyes filled with menace.
Yue Changhe knew the limits of his own strength; he was no match for either of them.
But so what? I’m not one to surrender!
“You want me to go back with you? Dream on!”
“Stubborn fool!” The eagle-eyed man reached out with his claws to seize him, and the elderly monk attacked.
Yue Changhe was already exhausted. After just a few exchanges, he was defeated, lying on the ground and clinging to his last breath.
“Choose, Yue Changhe—are you on the side of the demons or humans?!” The man with eagle eyes pinned him down, leaving him no chance to retaliate.
Yue Changhe let out a bitter laugh as he looked at the monk and eagle demon who had pursued him. “The two of you are hunting me down just because my father is a demon and my mother is a human? Human or demon, do you think I want to have both bloodlines?!”
“Enough nonsense. Make your choice!” the elderly monk demanded irritably.
“You must pick one today!” the eagle-eyed man also barked.
“Heh heh, human blood, demon blood. Is bloodline really so important?” A deep, resounding Buddhist voice reverberated through the temple, as if this were the Pure Land.
The central Buddha statue in the temple opened its eyes and came to life.
The elderly monk who had chanted sutras for half a lifetime had never heard of such a situation. “W-World-Honored One...”
Lu Yang shook his head. His voice was deep and resonant, as if several people were speaking at once. “This humble monk had no wish to manifest himself before the world. But since three benefactors have entered my temple and are embroiled in a dispute, it is only natural that I intervene.”
He gazed upon the three and lowered his eyes; his compassionate expression seemed to bemoan the state of the world and pity all living beings. “The conflict between humans and demons has persisted since ancient times. Blood has flowed like rivers, and countless brilliant talents have perished. It is truly a tragedy.
“Humans are the foremost of all beings, yet demons have also produced true immortals. Bloodlines are neither superior nor inferior, so why must you draw such clear lines?”
The elderly monk stammered, “But World-Honored One, this person has committed an offense. We need to determine whether he belongs to the Demon Kingdom or the Buddhist Kingdom. If he’s from the Demon Kingdom, this eagle can take him; if he’s from the Buddhist Kingdom, I’ll have to take him.”
Lu Yang was speechless. Senior Epoch, could we discuss the possibility of rewinding time?
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