Chapter 567 - 282: Jealousy (Part 2)

Chapter 567: Chapter 282: Jealousy (Part 2)

He had no choice but to explain: "I won’t do anything bad to the flower demon."

The lady nodded, "If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll help you catch a few back."

Ji Mingyu secretly grinded his teeth, What do you mean? Trying to look magnanimous and tolerant, huh? Go ahead and try catching them, let’s see if I let you in the door next time!

So amidst such teasing and laughter, after half a day of journeying, the group finally arrived at the edge of a mysterious region shrouded in white mist.

But just then, a mysterious beam of light suddenly shot straight up into the sky from the northeastern corner of the Grotto Heaven!

From that beam, intense waves of magical power emitted, and five or six dazzling rays of colored light refracted out, seeming like a sign that some astonishing treasure was appearing.

At that moment, hordes of cultivators immediately abandoned their original exploration areas, transforming into streaks of sword light, escape light, and treasure light, swiftly heading in that direction.

"Should we go over there?" The lady asked.

Chu Xuan’s eyes flashed with the colors of the rainbow, using the "Seven Luminaries Divine Light" to peer into that direction. After confirming that there was no book-like presence within the beam, he calmly said:

"Let them fight over it; I won’t be distracted until we achieve our set objective."

After speaking, Chu Xuan looked at the tree child, signaling it to continue leading the way.

But the child appeared troubled, gesturing towards the depths of the mist with chopping motions, as if saying even it would be attacked upon entering.

Chu Xuan pondered, Pei Shurou mentioned that those below the Third Mystical Realm cannot touch the water of the Merak Immortal Pool.

Otherwise, they would be incapable of enduring its wonders, have their minds seized by the pool, transformed into puppets, guarding beside the pool day and night, attacking anyone daring to approach.

He hadn’t anticipated that these puppets wouldn’t even recognize the identity of the tree child as a "tao child".

So Chu Xuan nodded and said, "Lead us this far then. I want to ask if you know where the Celestial Daoist Book might be?"

"As far as I know, it’s a large, heavy stone book."

Saying this, he utilized magic to project an image of a stone book to prevent the tree child from misunderstanding.

After hearing this, the tree child merely shook its head, seemingly unable to sense the location of the book either.

Thus, Chu Xuan felt slightly disappointed and allowed it to leave.

But just before the tree child departed, Chu Xuan took the chance to pinch its cheek, finding its touch cool.

The tree child shyly dodged, instantly transforming into countless streams of green light, dissipating.

The lady curiously asked, "Do you like little boys too?"

Chu Xuan was speechless, "Don’t say things like that, okay? I just think they’re cute. If you saw me teasing cats and dogs, would you say I like beings other than humans?"

"What does ’other than humans’ mean?"

"Just creatures that aren’t human."

"So do I count as ’other than humans’?"

"Uh, well..." Chu Xuan was a bit stuck.

Ji Mingyu couldn’t stand it anymore, they were flirting right in front of him, so he interrupted, "Hurry up and go in, lest we delay too long and miss out."

The lady simply revealed herself, still staring at Chu Xuan, seemingly demanding an answer.

So he had no choice but to say, "For now, yes, but not once you rebuild your body."

With these words, Chu Xuan took the lead, flying into the mist, not giving the curious soul further opportunity to ask questions.

The lady swallowed back the question, "Do you like beings other than humans?"

...

This misty fog was different from "Xi Yi Mist"; although it also obstructed Divine Sense from probing, it felt more like evaporated water vapor. Chu Xuan took a breath and felt refreshed.

Within the mist wandered white jade-like puppet corpses, most still donning the clothes they wore in life. Their power varied, but generally did not exceed the Sixth Realm, with only a few seemingly possessing higher-level strength.

Although for the current Chu Xuan, these puppets posed no significant threat, he remained cautious, not attacking to avoid triggering chain reactions.

Chu Xuan then conjured the Six Souls Banner, covering the two beside him, concealed their forms and qi, bypassing these instinct-driven puppets, and ventured deeper.

Soon, the group reached the center of the mist, where a creamy white pool lay. Though called a "pool," it was wide enough to resemble a grand lake.

The water in the pool was akin to liquid spiritual qi, standing nearby and taking a breath filled one with a sense of comfort, even refining one’s magical power somewhat.

Around the pool lay barren ground, and the pool appeared devoid of any living beings. The only unique feature was a cyan ancient stone stele beside the pool.

On the stele were inscribed ancient and grand seal characters:

To give birth but not possess, act but not expect, lead but not dominate, this is called profound virtue.

Chu Xuan read each character, immediately remembering this saying from the Tao Te Ching, meaning:

To give life to all things without possessing them, to nurture all things without self-righteousness, to guide all things without dominating, this is profound virtue.

Maybe it was set by the Green Emperor? He secretly speculated.

The lady upon arriving was immediately captivated by the celestial pool, looking eagerly at Chu Xuan, "Can I go in directly?"

"Wait." Chu Xuan first bent down, scooping up a handful of pool water.

The trace of immortal qi within him spontaneously reacted, diving into the pool water.

Then, to his surprise, the immortal qi absorbed the pool’s effects. In short time, the water in his hand turned into plain water, and the scale of the immortal qi slightly expanded.

Meanwile, Ji Mingyu also dipped her right hand in the pool, contemplating, "It indeed nourishes body and soul, and resonates with the Dry Ming Immortal Qi. It should be the legendary Merak Immortal Pool."

Only then did Chu Xuan nod to the lady, who immediately plunged in, completely immersing herself and letting out a comfortable moan.

Chu Xuan asked with a smile, "How does it feel?"

"Good, very good~" The lady squinted her eyes, "I can sense this pool is repairing and nourishing my remains. Although the speed is quite slow, it’s definitely recovering bit by bit."

Chu Xuan was originally quite pleased, thinking he could save the "Life Creation Pill" now, but hearing this, he frowned and asked:

"Based on your estimation, how long would it take to completely rebuild your body?"

"At least twenty years, perhaps?" The lady, sensing her condition, estimated.

Chu Xuan hesitated, "But the Celestial Pool Secret Mansion will soon close; do you plan to stay here until then? Who knows how many thousand years it would be until it opens again."

The lady shook her head, "When you mentioned that ’Spring Code’ before, I’ve been sensing deeply. Though I haven’t pinpointed its location, I’m able to sense its rhythm. This Grotto Heaven continuously interacts with the outside, not entirely sealed."

"Re-entering post-closure is difficult, but leaving isn’t as troublesome. Presumably, the Green Emperor left a lifeline for outsiders."

"Just leave me here; once my body recovers, I’ll seek you out."

Chu Xuan considered that, with only a head, the lady possessed significant power. In full form, she should wield even greater strength.

Thus, he took out the Life Creation Pill and said, "This Immortal Pill hasn’t completed the nurturing process yet, probably taking another three to four years."

"Since this immortal pool replenishes immortal qi, its nurturing shouldn’t be problematic either."

"I’ll leave it here with you; if I encounter a dire situation and urgently need your help, you’ll be free to consume it to quickly reform your body and come to my aid."

The lady agreed, "But how will you notify me?"

"Just give me a strand of your hair; at that time, I’ll have a way to use it as a medium for you to sense."

Provided the Celestial Pool Secret Mansion actually interacts with the outside, Chu Xuan was confident he could manage it.