Chapter 188 - Arc 12: Ruyi Xianzhuang | Chapter 188: Stealth
Translator: Lynn
The spiritual consciousness expanded rapidly in all directions, meticulously combing through every plant and every inch of soil. Xu Ziqing had never experienced such a terrifying intensity before, and it filled him with fear from the depths of his heart for the first time.
This fear compelled him to frantically accelerate the technique, no, it had to be faster! It must be faster!
The wood-like patterns on Xu Ziqing’s body extended to his eyelids, prompting him to involuntarily close his eyes. Of his six senses, only his sense of hearing remained functional. Due to the closure of the other five senses, his hearing became even more acute; he could almost perceive the sound of grass blades falling within a ten-mile radius.
Especially his consciousness, which could fluctuate and be detected by others, became vague again, sinking into the deepest recesses of his sea of consciousness.
Perilously and narrowly—just as his consciousness was on the verge of sweeping toward the giant tree where he hid—Xu Ziqing finally transformed into wood. His entire body seemed to have metamorphosed into a withered tree, becoming akin to the dry bark on the giant tree—utterly silent and lifeless.
Only a trace of determination lay concealed in the most secretive recesses of his dantian.
Faintly, Xu Ziqing discerned that someone was approaching.
The faint and fragmented voices, magnified by his heightened auditory prowess, materialized into a blurred image as if veiled.
It was a man and a woman, the man leading and the woman following. Suddenly, they both descended to the ground.
The male cultivator exuded a potent aura, harboring immense power within, seemingly capable of reducing everything in the world to dust with a mere touch.
On the other hand, the female cultivator’s strength appeared to surpass that of the male cultivator, but there seemed to be a breach in her body, continuously leaking the formidable power within her, akin to a pouring torrent into the sea.
These two individuals… were immensely powerful!
In a daze, Xu Ziqing realized he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. Even his senior brother might not prevail. And who were they?
His hearing sharpened, and their conversation became more distinct.
The male cultivator donned expansive robes and exuded an extraordinary presence, reminiscent of an exiled immortal, brimming with the righteous might of the immortal way. However, within this righteousness, there was an opposing power, impossible to ignore.
The female cultivator emanated an ethereal and frosty beauty, as if not of this world—presumably a perfect match for the male cultivator.
The woman spoke, her tone distant, “Why did you lead me out?”
The man sighed, “I sought you out, wanting to talk to you, yet you treat me so coldly. Truly, you make me sad.”
However, after a couple of words, a sense of ambiguity crept in.
The woman remained silent.
The man continued, “Don’t you trust me? I scoured the area with my spiritual sense before; there’s no one else here but us. I merely wanted to find a secluded place to converse with you. Do you truly wish to be so cruel and ignore me?”
The woman still didn’t respond, but the man continued speaking to himself, his words filled with infatuation and affection, “My cultivation isn’t at its peak. If I attempt to transmit sound while you’re there, I’m afraid those old aunts will intercept it, which could harm you. With no one around, I can tell you what I want.”
“Are you still upset?”
“You haven’t summoned your true form. When you encounter me, it’s just this avatar. You won’t even give me a kind reception? Wuxin, have you forgotten everything from the past…”
Upon hearing the name “Wuxin,” the words triggered a familiar sensation within Xu Ziqing. He couldn’t help but be rocked by a massive revelation, instantly discerning their identities.
One is Mu Wuxin, the proprietor of Ruyi Xianzhuang, while the other is Lang Tianqi, an outsider associated with the Demonic Way, as per his senior brother’s account.
Mu Wuxin finally broke the silence: “Whose body are you inhabiting now?”
Lang Tianqi responded with a sense of joy in his words: “You’re still concerned about me. That makes me quite happy.” He continued with a touch of disdain, “It’s just a casual cultivator from overseas. I deemed him to have potential, so I took over his body to meet you like this. In the past, you admired my appearance the most. When I sculpted my form, I retained it. Take a look, does it resemble before?”
Mu Wuxin’s voice softened, and a hint of sigh could be detected in her words: “Indeed, your appearance hasn’t changed…” She spoke gently, “I drained your abilities, and I feared you might perish. You lost your physical body and your cultivation for thousands of years. Do you truly harbor no resentment towards me?”
Lang Tianqi sighed, a wry smile on his face: “I love you; I can’t control it. I loved you before it was too late, how could hatred dwell in my heart? … But back then, you and I were different from immortals and demons. You took my abilities but preserved my Nascent Soul, indicating you still remember our past connection. If that’s the case, I’ll change into the body of an individual from the immortal way. Now, you won’t be able to ignore me anymore!”
This lovelorn confession would tug at anyone’s heartstrings.
And to add to the complexity, it was within the context of this game.
Mu Wuxin spoke softly: “You don’t blame me, but why did you join forces with Yu Nongqing? I had her confined to the back mountain with great effort, and the elders of Ruyi Xianzhuang didn’t dare to defy my instructions. The only person who could have released her is you…but I’m unaware of when she encountered you and persuaded you to assist her in this manner.”
“She and I have been vying for power within the sect for a long time. I intended to subdue her temporarily, allowing my disciples and subordinates to marry key figures within the Grand Sect and elevate their cultivation, attracting external support and curbing her arrogance. But I didn’t anticipate her early release, causing a scene at my birthday feast. The betrothals involving her envoys would likely fall apart. I’m concerned she’ll employ various means to trouble my chosen envoy.”
The situation that seemed promising had been completely disrupted.
Upon hearing this, Lang Tianqi grew anxious: “I’m not aiding her, it’s all for you!”
Mu Wuxin seemed doubtful: “Oh?”
Lang Tianqi spoke ruefully: “It was a challenge for me to cultivate to this level. When I learned about your approaching birthday celebration, I intended to pay my respects to you and reestablish our connection. However, despite my early arrival, I was nervous and couldn’t muster the courage to meet you directly. Then, in the dead of night, someone came between us. I only realized it was Yu Nongqing after I fell asleep.” He explained, articulating everything clearly.
Yu Nongqing had connected with Lang Tianqi within the dreamlike realm, aware that Lang Tianqi and Mu Wuxin had been acquainted and in love in the past. Consequently, Lang Tianqi was somewhat guarded.
Romantic involvement between immortals and demons wasn’t tolerated in society. If it involved a righteous demon, it was somewhat permissible. However, Lang Tianqi had previously practiced dark arts and was persecuted by the righteous path. If this were to become known, it could severely tarnish Mu Wuxin’s present reputation.
Lang Tianqi understood that Yu Nongqing had found him suddenly in a dream on the day of Mu Wuxin’s birthday, intending to deceive Mu Wuxin. So, he remained on guard, vehemently expressing resentment and hatred toward Mu Wuxin, feigning his emotions, and gnashing his teeth, all to gain Yu Nongqing’s trust.
As expected, Yu Nongqing was pleased to see his apparent resentment. She sought an alliance with him against Mu Wuxin. Yet, Yu Nongqing could never have fathomed that, while Lang Tianqi had indeed been hurt by Mu Wuxin, his infatuation remained unchanged, and his affection was genuine. Lang Tianqi engaged in numerous discussions with Yu Nongqing, pretending to side with her, merely to extract information.
Subsequently, Yu Nongqing took advantage of the birthday banquet, secretly instructing her confidant to lead Lang Tianqi to the forbidden area.
The authority suppressing Yu Nongqing stemmed from Mu Wuxin, which was quite perplexing. Except for Lang Tianqi, who had cultivated in pairs with Mu Wuxin, and Mu Wuxin’s sole daughter, Mu Ronghua, nobody else could breach the seal.
Mu Ronghua and Mu Wuxin shared a profound mother-daughter bond, making them unwilling to assist outsiders. However, Lang Tianqi had been once targeted by Mu Wuxin, making him the individual Yu Nongqing sought to win over and manipulate.
Upon learning the whole story, Lang Tianqi feigned compliance, pretending to accompany Yu Nongqing’s confidants to the forbidden area. However, his true intention was not to lift the ban on Yu Nongqing but to eliminate this threat to Mu Wuxin secretly.
Unfortunately, upon reaching the forbidden area, Lang Tianqi discovered that several powerful masters, with cultivation bases higher than Nascent Soul, were guarding Yu Nongqing outside the restricted zone. With his current cultivation level, he could handle one or two of them individually, but facing a siege, he risked harm.
As a result, Lang Tianqi was compelled to let Yu Nongqing go, not wanting to negate his prior efforts. Still, he continued the facade of collaboration, pretending to be a common adversary to expose Yu Nongqing’s plot. His purpose in luring Mu Wuxin out now was to disclose the entire plan to her.
Upon hearing this, Mu Wuxin’s tone softened further, and she spoke gently: “Yu Nongqing is sly and deceitful. She may not fully trust you, but she will certainly manipulate you to despise me.”
Lang Tianqi was taken aback: “How could that be?”
Mu Wuxin let out a soft snort: “You’ve just arrived, there must be many things you don’t grasp. If she were to tell you that I had a child with someone else, look at me, I indeed have a daughter who is less than 200 years old. Can you honestly tell me you wouldn’t be infuriated?”
Individuals from Ruyi Xianzhuang, especially its designated successor, always sought to carry on the lineage and pass down their expertise. Historically, they aspired to seek a companion from the immortal way, but Mu Wuxin chose to engage romantically with a demon.
Lang Tianqi, upon hearing this, expressed his sorrow: “You, you really had a child with him?” Their parting from each other was thousands of years ago, before Mu Wuxin assumed the role of villa owner. Now, the daughter was so young… Contemplating this, he couldn’t help but lose hope.
Mu Wuxin sighed: “Dual cultivation of immortals and demons isn’t so straightforward when it comes to bearing a child. The day I absorbed your cultivation level, might have been because of the child within me. However, merging the two practices was challenging. The energies were in conflict, making nurturing a baby exceedingly difficult… It took me millennia to harmonize the energies in her body, turning her into a prodigious talent. She bears no semblance to an offspring of a demon. Even Yu Nongqing is unaware of her true identity.” At this point, she smiled faintly: “It’s been five thousand years, Tianqi. I bore you a child, Ronghua. Do you accept this revelation?”
Xu Ziqing, who had already merged with the trees, couldn’t help but be astonished upon hearing this.
The genuine Mu Ronghua, desiring to engage in dual cultivation with his senior brother, turned out to be the daughter of this immortal and demon!
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