Chapter 55

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Chapter 55: Wen Yun’s Challenge!

Wen Yun wrapped herself in a blanket and snuggled into a corner of the magical boat, feeling cold. She then moved closer to Ye Shubai, who naturally took out a silver-striped tiger skin from his magical bag and put it around her.

Shen Xinghai was already accustomed to the intimate behavior of these two, and he was currently standing at the edge of the ship fishing, unmoved by the fierce sea wind and showing no fear even as others were frightened by the distant sea.

He wasn’t afraid since he had a piece of old wood on his back, so even if he fell, he could still float up.

Wen Yun lay on the deck for a while, wrapped in fur against the cold wind. Her mind was still empty, but at least she wasn’t tired anymore. She held a Magic Stone to absorb energy and looked at the wood behind Shen Xinghai.

"Martial Brother Shen, this wood looks familiar to me."

Shen Xinghai chuckled, "I only realized it after releasing the magic boat. This wood is made of the same material as the boat. I used it to cross the sea before, and today it saved you. It’s truly a treasure."

Ye Shubai chimed in, "In the past, demon cultivators used these magic boats to cross the sea. They were said to be trees planted by gods. Nowadays, very few remain, hidden by a few big tribes. Encountering a piece of this wood at sea is very lucky."

Wen Yun wondered in her heart why Martial Brother Shen’s luck was so strange.

She and Shen Xinghai entered the inner sect at the same time. She had observed his progress all along. Despite appearing as a young girl of about ten, she was actually a mage who had practiced for hundreds of years. Therefore, her cultivation speed was naturally faster than normal.

But Shen Xinghai seemed like a regular young man in every way!

Wen Yun was truly puzzled, so she adjusted the tiger skin on her body and asked in a low voice, "Martial Brother Shen, why did you choose the path of cultivation?"

"I feel ashamed to say that my family used to be well-respected in the mortal world, with ancestors who were cultivators. However, by the time of my father, the Shen family was falsely accused and declined, becoming common villagers."

Wen Yun’s spirits lifted as she watched Shen Xinghai, lost in memories. Unable to resist her curiosity, she asked, "Martial Brother Shen, did your grandfather arrange a marriage for you? Do you have a noble fiancee from a prestigious family who also has spiritual talents, joining a sect for cultivation?"

Shen Xinghai looked shocked at Wen Yun, puzzled, "Martial Sister Wen, have we met before?!"

"Not really, just guessing."

It’s not unusual for wealthy young men to fall from grace after being jilted by their fiancees. Wen Yun had read many similar stories in her free time, so when Shen Xinghai spoke, she could already imagine the whole plot.

Ye Shubai glanced at Wen Yun, understanding her thoughts without a word. This girl was so bored in his memory world that she started creating stories and even mimicked storytellers while he practiced swordplay.

Unaware of the truth, Shen Xinghai admired Wen Yun, "Indeed, Martial Sister Wen, you are truly insightful. In the mortal world, I did have a fiancee who broke off the engagement when my family fell. Two years ago, I resented it, but now I realize marriage should be mutual. Elders mean well, but they can’t force a girl’s will. I heard she is cultivating in a sect, and I only wish her a bright future on her immortal path."

Wen Yun respected Shen Xinghai, impressed by his mindset compared to typical male leads in stories.

Shen Xinghai remained positive, showing no sorrow about the past, but rather exuding enthusiasm.

Later on, I joined the Qingliu Sword Sect, and with the help of Martial Sister Wen, I was lucky enough to enter the inner door. From then on, I finally understood the saying, "The sea is vast because fish leap, the sky is high because birds fly! The mundane world can’t compare to the carefree immortal path!"

After thinking about it, Wen Yun decided to keep to herself the words, "So, after you joined the sect, did you happen to come across a ring with an old man with a white beard inside, who said he would teach you ancient techniques?"

These details are all from the storybook, it’s hard to believe they actually happened to Martial Brother Shen, isn’t it?

Shen Xinghai didn’t know what Wen Yun was thinking about. He cast his fishing line towards the sea, even though there didn’t seem to be any fish in the outer sea. He still enjoyed fishing to pass the time.

With one swing, Wen Yun caught a glimpse of an ancient jade ring on his thumb…

"！！！"

It turns out everything in the storybook is true!

*

All day long, Wen Yun sat by the boat, staring intently at Shen Xinghai. Shen Xinghai didn’t notice anything unusual, but Ye Shubai beside her sensed that something was not right.

He quietly stood in front of Wen Yun, as if admiring the sea view, perfectly blocking her line of sight.

Wen Yun tugged at his sleeve to signal him to move, she was trying to see through Shen Xinghai’s ring to catch a glimpse of the old man with white beard.

However, the usually clever Ye Shubai seemed clueless this time, showing no intention of moving his feet, instead calmly chatting with her, "You looked very pale when boarding the ship, are you feeling better now?"

With this interruption, Wen Yun’s attention shifted away from the old man with white beard, replying, "I’m fine, just need to rest for a while… huh?"

She originally wanted to say that resting for a while would restore her energy, considering her past experiences using empty magic power, and now with the Magic Stone as an aid, she thought she would recover faster.

But now, as Wen Yun looked at her spiritual sea of divine sense, she was surprised to find it still empty, the energy absorbed from the Magic Stone seemed to have disappeared without a trace!

It was only then that she realized the large Magic Stone in her arms had become dull and lifeless in color, indicating that it had been drained of energy.

Yet, there was no movement in Wen Yun’s spiritual sea of divine sense!

What could be the matter?

Ye Shubai noticed that Wen Yun didn’t look right. He focused on sensing her energy but found that she had lost not only her magical power but also her spiritual power. Her once bright Golden Core now looked dull, and she seemed to have lost all her abilities, like a regular person!

Wen Yun wrapped her silver-lined tiger skin tighter around her. Without her abilities, she was no different from a regular person at sea, feeling particularly sensitive to the cold. Her little face, exposed to the elements, turned slightly pale from the chill, showing confusion and helplessness.

"What’s happening to me?"

When did her magical power become one-time use only, unable to be replenished after depletion?

Shen Xinghai also noticed that something was wrong. He put down his fishing rod and walked over. "Martial Sister Wen, what’s wrong with you?"

Ye Shubai took a step forward and grabbed Wen Yun’s wrist, carefully examining it. However, he found no clues and was shocked by the bizarre situation.

With some recovery of spiritual power after breathing out his jade nascent soul, Ye Shubai didn’t care about anything else at the moment. He sent a fine thread of spiritual power into Wen Yun’s body.

As the spiritual power entered Wen Yun’s body, it quickly flowed into her dim Golden Core, as if drawn by something.

Ye Shubai had a strange feeling that Wen Yun’s Golden Core had turned into a greedy child, with the spiritual power being its coveted snack.

Wen Yun also noticed something was wrong, so she quickly explained that she didn’t mean to take away your spiritual power, "I didn’t mean to steal your spiritual power, please don’t misunderstand."

Ye Shubai glanced at her indifferently, without saying much, he silently sent another deeper surge of spiritual power over. As expected, Wen Yun’s Golden Core absorbed it again.

Wen Yun had nothing to say in return.

She could understand Golden Core absorbing spiritual power, but the fact that it didn’t react afterwards felt like a waste.

"Is my Golden Core broken?" Wen Yun forced a smile and jokingly voiced this concern.

As soon as she said it, it felt almost too close to the truth.

Golden Core couldn’t be easily separated from the body, and among cultivators, there were life-and-death struggles. If a Golden Core was injured, either the cultivation would be cut off or the cultivator would perish. It had never been heard of being unharmed.

Wen Yun’s Golden Core was a rare Flawless Golden Core, due to the jade nascent soul shard with the mysteries of life and death attached to it, it remained unscathed even when separated from the body.

But being removed once was already a lot, yet this poor little pearl had been removed twice. Without the nourishment of spirit Qi, it might indeed wither away.

Shen Xinghai’s body shook, although he didn’t know what was happening, he could see that Wen Yun’s power had disappeared.

He cautiously touched the jade ring on his thumb, feeling conflicted and hesitant. Finally, he slowly took it off.

Wen Yun, who had faced many challenges before, lightly pressed her lips together. Even though she felt anxious inside, she didn’t show it. Instead, she comforted them both, saying, "It’s okay. Maybe I was just too tired earlier. I’ll just rest for a couple more days."

She keenly noticed Shen Xinghai’s movement, raised her hand and patted his shoulder, pushing away the hand he was extending towards her.

The young girl solemnly said, "Everyone has their own destiny, Martial Brother Shen, thank you, but I don’t want it."

It was clear that Martial Brother Shen had encountered something special, but she couldn’t sacrifice others to save herself just because she was in trouble. The ring must be very important to Shen Xinghai, so she couldn’t take it from him.

Just as Shen Xinghai was about to say something, the magic boat suddenly shook violently, and Wen Yun lost her balance and was about to fall. Luckily, Ye Shubai, who was by her side, had been attentive to her from the beginning and quickly reached out to hold her in his arms.

Wen Yun crashed into Ye Shubai’s chest, which should have been a romantic and ambiguous moment. However, at this moment, she had no power, and Ye Shubai’s body, enhanced by spiritual power, was unnaturally hard. As she hit him, her nose immediately felt sore, and a warm stream slowly seeped out.

"…"

However, at that moment, Wen Yun couldn’t even think about wiping her nosebleed. The three people outside the cabin looked up and saw dark, ink-like clouds gathering not far away, followed by towering waves rushing towards them.

Ye Shubai quickly put a handkerchief into Wen Yun’s hand and said, "Wait for me inside the cabin," before leaping onto the back of the magical boat.

Shen Xinghai quickly followed, following Ye Shubai’s instructions to steer the magical boat with all his might to avoid the terrifying waves.

The magical boat kept rocking and swaying, and the refugees inside the cabin were pale with fear. These refugees’ ancestors were fishermen, but they had been hiding in caves in the Demon Realm and this boat journey was their first. They were already anxious, and now faced with these monstrous waves.

Even A’xiu and Heishi, usually the bravest of the group, were now looking uneasy, clutching each other’s hands tightly, and nervously asking Wen Yun, "Immortal Master, can we cross the open sea?"

Wen Yun had lost her powers and couldn’t help outside, but she remained calm, soothing the mortal beings with a peaceful expression.

Seeing her calm demeanor, the refugees felt slightly reassured. With three Immortal Masters present, they believed they could safely cross the open sea.

Only Wen Yun knew how difficult the situation was. She would get dizzy even just riding a flying sword, let alone on this shaky magical boat.

But at this moment, she was the pillar of everyone’s strength and had to stay steady. Wen Yun, who had encountered countless big challenges, tried to suppress her discomfort, quickly scanning the cabin and understanding the situation.

The magic boat seemed to be a warship that carried demon cultivators in the past, so it was built very big, even able to hold over a thousand people. The wood used for the boat was light as a feather, so currently the boat wasn’t heavy enough and sat too shallow in the water, making it unstable in rough winds and waves.

After Wen Yun thought of this answer in her mind, she quickly came up with a plan.

To stabilize the boat, all they needed to do was to add more weight on it!

Since she didn’t have any spiritual power at the moment, Wen Yun opened the space bag and threw it to A’hua, "A’hua, please take out the big rocks from inside!"

Wen Yun was referring to that giant Magic Stone, once its weight was added, it would surely help to keep the boat steady!

It was A’hua’s first time using a space bag, she took it tremblingly, infused it with spirit Qi, and then poured it out –

With a loud clatter, top-grade spiritual jade with a warm glow poured crazily out of the space bag, almost engulfing everyone in it.

Those were the one hundred thousand top-grade spiritual jade that Wen Yun had cleverly taken from the fake Yu Qinghong!

A’hua quickly realized she took out the wrong thing, so she hurriedly poured it out again.

Wen Yun was too late to stop it, so she could only watch as another small pile of high-quality Magic Stones were poured out.

As soon as those two parcels were lifted, the slightly lighter magic boat sank deeper into the water, reducing the bumps and shakes on the boat.

Wen Yun looked in pain at the several pieces of top-grade spiritual jade and Magic Stones shattering in the cabin. She could feel the pure energy flowing out of them rapidly. It was such a pity. If only she could absorb them into her body like she could with Magic Stones…

Just as she was thinking that, her body instinctively started absorbing those mixed energies on its own.

The storm outside the cabin continued to rage, and the rocking inside the cabin persisted.

However, Wen Yun suddenly seemed to lose her connection to the outside world and stood still, as if entering a mysterious and profound world like an old monk entering a deep meditation, completely cut off from the outside world.

A warm sensation flowed slowly through her body’s every meridian, splitting into two streams at the end, one flowing up to her sea of divine sense, and the other rushing into her Golden Core.

Every part of her body through which the warmth passed seemed to be purified anew. Old hidden injuries from years ago began to slowly heal, her already fair skin gradually glowing with a shimmering luster, resembling a newborn baby’s tender skin. Her soft hair became even shinier and more flowing, making her look like a goddess bathed in holy light.

These were all unusual occurrences witnessed by the onlookers, but Wen Yun herself was unaware of the significant changes happening to her body.

At this moment, she looked confused at the unfamiliar world in front of her. It was all blank, with no sky above, no ground below, and seemed endlessly vast.

Wen Yun looked up at this strange world, thinking about how to leave while taking a step forward.

This simple step unexpectedly took her a thousand kilometers away!

Wen Yun was amazed; her time-space rules, which she wasn’t very good at using before, suddenly became easy in this wonderful world!

She even had a ridiculous thought that in this strange space, she was an almighty goddess!

She reached out and suddenly touched a strange warm flow, feeling very familiar yet never seen before.

They flowed past her and slowly began to condense into a cluster of light dots in front of her, enclosing Wen Yun’s Flawless Golden Core in the center!

Wen Yun approached, touched the Golden Core with a strange feeling. It did not react, still absorbing the unfamiliar warm flow.

However, she noticed it was no longer round, becoming rough and bumpy, and as the light dots gathered, it not only did not regain its original beauty but also became more and more lumpy…

The picky woman pulled back her hand with a look of disgust, "Ugh, why did you become ugly?"

Golden Core: @#$%!

*

At this moment, the magic boat had already avoided that wave, sailing smoothly again.

Shen Xinghai stared blankly at the pile of spiritual jade and Magic Stone powder in the cabin, taking a while before realizing there was a person hidden in the powder.

"Martial Sister Wen!"

He hurried forward to dig out Wen Yun, but Ye Shubai blocked his way with a wooden sword.

Shen Xinghai, puzzled, said, "Martial Brother Ye, Martial Sister Wen is in trouble!"

Thanks to Martial Sister Wen being close to him, Martial Brother Ye was not worried about her at all now, truly a beauty matched with a dog!

Ye Shubai didn’t even look at him, he just stared straight at Wen Yun in the pile of powder, then after a moment of thought, he swung his sword and scattered the pile of powder completely.

In the next moment, he picked up Wen Yun’s space bag, poured out a mountain-like pile of Magic Stones and top-grade spiritual jade, covering Wen Yun with them!

Shen Xinghai was furious, but before he could roll up his sleeves and charge at Ye Shubai with his sword, the pile of stones began to rapidly consume energy at a visible speed, soon turning into a pile of abandoned powder.

What’s even more strange is that Wen Yun’s cultivation began to gradually rise.

Starting from the Qi Refining Stage, then progressing to Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core…

What others need decades or even centuries to cultivate, she broke through as easily as eating and drinking, quickly filling up in less than half a day.

By now, three days have passed, and Wen Yun’s aura has become increasingly powerful and majestic.

The one hundred thousand pieces of spiritual jade obtained from Yu Qinghong have long been used up, and now Ye Shubai has taken out the spiritual jade he dug up years ago, with most of the Magic Stones also brought out, leaving only the biggest one.

The entire magic boat was enveloped in a powerful aura, emanating from Wen Yun!

Ye Shubai brushed the powder off her clothes again, lowered his eyes to look at Wen Yun, and remained silent.

Shen Xinghai was slightly worried, "It’s been three days already, why hasn’t Martial Sister Wen woken up?"

"She will soon," Ye Shubai said calmly.

"If I’m not mistaken, her Golden Core has already formed into a Nascent Soul."