Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

The battle erupted so suddenly, and screams echoed repeatedly throughout the valley.

"Quick, protect Master Ancestor!!"

"Save the cauldron! Save the cauldron!!"

"Master, be careful—"

Gong Wu instinctively grabbed a jar filled with reishi powder and rushed toward the cauldron alongside Master Donglu.

Amid the chaos, some cried out and fled, while others brandished magical tools and soared into the sky.

Her eyes were sharp, and her hands even quicker, as she tucked the golden medicine furnace and silver pestle under her arm and ran.

Thousands of soldiers descended from the sky like a heavy black rain, blotting out nearly all the sunlight.

"Gong Wu, follow me!" Cheng Ji swiftly shrunk the waist-high Wuzhen Duheng Cauldron to the size of his palm and concealed it in his sleeve. "Hide over here!"

He pulled her along, and both of them, heavily burdened, fled toward Liu Jia Palace. Most of the pursuers were entangled in fierce combat, but a few sharp-eyed individuals from the Demon Realm closed in with blades drawn.

Four or five accompanying disciples rushed to intercept them, but none were a match.

Gong Wu dashed into a dark alley, clutching five or six items, and noticed that a hidden door on the ground had been opened. Just one more step, and she could hide inside!

Suddenly, the sky above darkened, and a long-bearded soldier in black armor leaped toward Cheng Ji, wielding a short dagger.

"Master!!!"

Gong Wu cried out urgently as her broom sped even faster behind her, striking her attackers with a forceful blow!

Cheng Ji and the pursuer were both momentarily stunned.

—What is this? A broom??

The broom had just swept the dust from the high courtyard, and the bamboo dust now smothered the pursuers, sending them into fits of coughing.

"Cough, cough, cough!! What is this thing?!"

Cheng Ji, who had spent most of his life cultivating, had never seen a broom flying through the sky. He quickly formed a sealing spell to ensnare the attacker, shouting, "Wu Wu, come here quickly!"

Reinforcements from the Demon Realm had already arrived, trapping them at the secret door.

"Hand over the cauldron, or you won’t leave with your body intact!"

"Beasts!" Cheng Ji cursed. "You dare steal someone’s spiritual treasure to celebrate your lord’s birthday? Do you not fear the loss of your virtue?"

As he shouted, the leading soldier’s expression darkened, and he drew his sword, charging forward!

At this moment, Master Ancestor led many disciples in a fierce battle in the valley above. Cheng Ji, as a medicine cultivator, was not skilled in combat; surrounded by six or seven pursuers, he found himself in a desperate situation.

In a moment of panic, Gong Wu wanted to call for help, only to realize that the senior brothers and sisters who had protected them earlier lay brutally slain by the roadside, their blood staining the long steps.

She raised her hand and hurled the Golden Core Furnace at the face of the soldier in black armor standing by the hidden door. With all her might, she crashed through, tumbling into the hidden passage alongside Cheng Ji.

Amid the chaos, Cheng Ji gestured backward, and the magical symbols on the hidden door instantly activated, sealing the entrance firmly.

Their feet missed the steps, and they tumbled down into the darkness, rolling and colliding painfully.

"Little Wu, are you all right?!"

Before Cheng Ji could rise from the corner, he conjured a glow to illuminate the spot where Gong Wu had fallen.

Gong Wu spat out blood and pushed forward some of the elixir powders she had managed to save along the way.

"Why are you worrying about those?!" Cheng Ji stumbled toward her, his face pale with horror as the light drew nearer. "Don’t move! Why are you bleeding so much? I’ll heal you right now—"

But it was too late…

Gong Wu tried to speak, but a sharp blade had pierced through her chest and lungs, her voice bubbling with blood.

"Master Cheng, I might… be…"

"Don’t fall asleep! I’m channeling spiritual energy into you. We’ll get out of here soon!" Cheng Ji cried as he worked to save her. "I saw it—you took that hit for me, Wu Wu, you…"

She was enveloped by a familiar drowsiness.

In the haze, she should have succumbed to sleep, but she faintly sensed someone fighting desperately to keep her alive.

Her consciousness flickered, like a kite with its string severed, plunging into the abyss.

Not long after, the familiar, searing pain returned.

Hiss… I’m coming back to life.

Gong Wu clenched her teeth against the agony, cursing the lunatics of the Demon Realm for their pointless birthday celebrations, even as her body began its self-repair.

First, the tainted blood near her heart drained from the wound, and her shattered bones creaked as they regrew and reconnected.

The gaping hole in her lung began to mend, and even her blood vessels swiftly regenerated.

Her muscles and skin worked tirelessly on their own, requiring no guidance from her.

Gong Wu lay on the cold ground, waiting for the buzzing in her ears to fade, when a thought struck her.

Isn’t the pursuit of immortality the very essence of cultivation?

So… does this mean I’ve graduated early?

As her sense of touch returned, she felt Cheng Ji’s palm still channeling spiritual energy into her.

Soon, her hearing followed.

"No, this can’t be," Cheng Ji gasped in disbelief. "You’re alive?!"

Gong Wu managed a faint smile, though her throat still tasted of blood.

"Master, you… truly have miraculous skills."

Cheng Ji abruptly withdrew his hand, staring at his palm in astonishment.

"Have I truly achieved a great success?" he murmured. "Just moments ago, I saw your soul dissipate, your life force severed, and yet… I brought you back?!"

Gong Wu was helped into a sitting position, and her fingers brushed against the tear in her clothing where the blade had struck.

She gazed at the torn fabric with a lingering sense of regret.

Dying and coming back to life really wears out clothes.

Cheng Ji was still in shock from being able to revive the dead. He confirmed his own breathing and checked Gong Wu’s pulse.

He had saved many people in his life, relying on his compassion and cultivation, but today felt like he was suddenly about to reach a great level, yet his whole aura showed no change.

Moreover, the wound on Little Wu’s chest had healed far too quickly.

"Something’s not right."

Cheng Ji regained his composure. At that moment, he felt no malice toward Gong Wu but was somewhat afraid.

"Little Wu, did you bring yourself back to life?"

Gong Wu was silent for a moment, not wanting to lie to him.

But she always remembered her master’s words.

Cheng Ji stood up and took out some medicinal powder, intending to clean up the bruises from where Gong Wu had fallen down the long steps.

With a sweep of her long sleeve, Gong Wu’s arm looked smooth and new, with no trace of bruising.

Cheng Ji took a deep breath and rolled up his own sleeve in front of Gong Wu.

His arm bore many scars from injuries and burns suffered while dealing with numerous enemies.

"I don’t want to ask what happened," Cheng Ji said softly. "Your master entrusted me to take care of you. Since you are not hurt, Wu Wu, I can only consider you fortunate."

Cheng Ji had always worried a bit because this child was too weak and could easily be bullied by naughty disciples.

But unexpectedly…

The man had tended to his own injuries and resumed meditating.

Gong Wu sat beside him, hugging her legs, and slowly closed her eyes.

She needed to confirm which stage she had reached now.

The realms of cultivation were named after the Big Dipper’s nine stars.

At the lowest level, the Hidden Element realm, one could enhance their five senses and strengthen their body.

A normal person might live to seventy or eighty with the blessing of the longevity star, while those in the Hidden Element realm often live past a hundred.

Next was the Insight realm, which was the threshold for apprenticeship.

Those in the Insight realm could see souls and command talismans.

If one reached the second or first grade, they might have the chance for sword flight. Once their internal organs were filled with spiritual energy, they could finally use their mortal body to refine spiritual pills.

Beyond that lay the Yaoguang realm.

Once one ascended to this stage, they could see ghosts, demons, and immortal bodies, refine magic tools, and even have their divine consciousness leave their body, slightly controlling the five elements.

After dying twice in Wan Shi Pool, she jumped straight from an ordinary person to the Yaoguang realm, brushing against its edges.

This time, dying felt like solidifying her position, with her spiritual energy flowing abundantly and remarkably.

Gong Wu recalled the mantra for her divine consciousness leaving the body that her master had taught her. Just as she was about to venture outside to check the situation, she was suddenly called.

"Wu Wu, I understand now." Cheng Ji held her hand, very moved. "No wonder you didn’t want to explain everything to me."

"Did your master worry that your cultivation would be difficult and feed you the treasured Primordial Pill?"

Gong Wu was momentarily stunned, recalling that her master had refined many treasures.

Sword cultivators treat their swords as their wives, and alchemists naturally regard their elixirs as their own children, handling them with the utmost care, reluctant to consume them.

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded at Cheng Ji, meeting his gaze.

"Yes."

"Xuxin truly cares for you, willing to give you such a rare spiritual pill to guide your awakening," Cheng Ji sighed, patting her hand. "No wonder that broom responds to you so obediently; your physique has improved so much."

"Wu Wu, with your master and me by your side, we will teach you the profound secrets of insight and help you achieve great success in the future."

At this point, Cheng Ji first looked up at the battlefield above them, where the medicinal valley had turned chaotic, and then his eyes grew sad as he looked at Gong Wu.

"Our sect is just too small. Once we fall into a weak position, it’s easy for others to bully us."

"I want to leave my body and go take a look," Gong Wu suddenly said.

"Now?" Cheng Ji pressed down on her. "Don’t move around; be careful of losing your divine consciousness."

Gong Wu showed no fear. "I’m too weak; no one will bother with me."

Cheng Ji was momentarily speechless.

Well… it did seem like that?!

Without hesitation, she closed her eyes, recited the mantra, and for the first time, felt her divine consciousness detach, light as a feather.

Gong Wu left her physical body in the underground tunnel and swayed upward.

Before she could hover in the air and see the full view of the valley, she was enveloped in a sleeve, trapped in a hand.

The scent of medicine was rich and soothing, the hand soft and warm.

"Foolishness."

Ji Yang stood among the clouds with his sword, quietly admonishing her.

"Are you not afraid of being captured?"