Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 60

Volume 6 Chapter 60: Reflection and Shock

Sometimes, time passes so slowly that it drives one crazy. For instance, when the body cannot move and lies still, doing nothing, it feels dull and plain. Watching the sun rise and set, as he reflects on the slow passage of time, Xu Qingfan realizes that a whole month has already gone by.

"Thank you."

Xu Qingfan lay stiffly behind a hidden hill, smiling at Dongfang Qingling as he spoke.

After the Spirit Qi backlash, Xu Qingfan had been lying here like this for a month.

At this moment, Dongfang Qingling was using torn cloth to wipe Xu Qingfan’s clothes. After all, it was a heavenly level treasure called the "Tianyu Robe." Although it was covered in blood stains, as soon as Dongfang Qingling wiped it, it returned to its original white.

However, at this moment, Dongfang Qingling was not wiping away blood stains from Xu Qingfan’s clothes but gray dirt. The Southern Wasteland was very windy and dusty, and often when the wind blew, Xu Qingfan, unable to use Spirit Qi or move to avoid it, would become covered in dust. To keep Xu Qingfan clean, Dongfang Qingling wiped his face, neck, hands, feet, and clothes several times a day, her expression gentle.

As for the blood stains on Xu Qingfan’s clothes, Dongfang Qingling had cleaned them on the first day after Xu Qingfan became paralyzed.

At first, Xu Qingfan felt awkward having a girl he didn’t know well wipe his body, even though he had known Dongfang Qingling for two hundred years. It seemed they weren’t close enough for this. However, the sticky blood made Xu Qingfan very uncomfortable, and Dongfang Qingling insisted, so he reluctantly agreed. After a month, he had already gotten used to her care.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s thanks, Dongfang Qingling smiled and shook her head slightly, signaling that no thanks were needed. She tidied Xu Qingfan’s messy hair caused by the wind, ensured he looked clean and refreshed, and after a moment of inspecting him, she smiled with satisfaction, a hint of warmth and contentment flashing across her face. She then walked to the side to wash the cloth by herself.

The past month may have been a bit too ordinary, but simply chatting with Xu Qingfan and taking care of him made Dongfang Qingling feel fulfilled, even though she found it a bit tiring and had never done such things before.

Watching Dongfang Qingling walk to the other side of the hill, Xu Qingfan let out a small sigh. After suffering a backlash from Spirit Qi, he could not use it for a month and couldn’t even move his body. He felt weak, needing Dongfang Qingling to take care of him. Although he had gotten used to it after a month, it still didn’t feel comfortable.

The sun climbed over the hill and shone brightly in front of Xu Qingfan, making him squint his eyes slightly.

"Junior Martial Sister Dongfang should be coming to my side soon to shield me from the strong sun and talk with me, right?"

Xu Qingfan thought silently.

It wasn’t that Xu Qingfan could predict the future and knew Dongfang Qingling would do this; rather, for the past month, Dongfang Qingling had always done just that. In the morning, when the Southern Wasteland winds blew from Xu Qingfan’s left side, she would quietly sit in the direction of the wind to shield Xu Qingfan from it. At noon, when the sun shone brightly right into Xu Qingfan’s eyes, Dongfang Qingling would stand below him to block the sunlight. In the evening, when the wind changed and howled from Xu Qingfan’s right side, she would silently sit there again to protect him from the wind and rain.

Since he began his journey of cultivating, Xu Qingfan rarely thought about love, focusing solely on his path. However, seeing Dongfang Qingling’s quiet care over the month, it seemed like something new had formed in his heart.

With a wry smile, Xu Qingfan closed his eyes for a moment. He decided not to think too much about it and, like every day in the past month, he quietly reflected on the lessons he had learned during his journey in the Southern Wasteland.

During this fight with the Zhong family, although Xu Qingfan relied on some cleverness to take on four opponents, managing to kill two of them and escape unscathed, the truth remained that he was always in a passive position during the fierce battle. If it hadn’t been for his quick thinking a few times and the help of the "Holy Spirit Buddhist Relic" afterward, he might have already turned into a pile of bones.

After reflecting, Xu Qingfan came up with three important lessons.

The first point is a flaw in Xu Qingfan’s character.

Over the years, as his reputation grew and his skills improved, and his magical tools became more exquisite, both the senior Taoist friends from the Righteous Alliance and his rivals valued and praised Xu Qingfan more. Even Feng Qingtian, whom Xu Qingfan always thought he could never defeat, ended in a tie in the black giant mountain, making Xu Qingfan clearly feel his strength had improved. He was no longer the same person from before, and without realizing it, Xu Qingfan began to feel a bit proud.

Every little person, as their status and strength rise, tends to reflect on the past and can develop this mindset to some extent. However, many people remain alert to their pride and work even harder. In this regard, Xu Qingfan truly fell into arrogance and only became aware of it after suffering a setback.

Over the years, Xu Qingfan always felt he was among the best among golden core cultivators. In the entire cultivation world, apart from Mahayana Stage masters, no other cultivator could stand against him. While this was true in some ways, Xu Qingfan indeed underestimated the other cultivators in the world.

Any cultivator who reaches the Golden Core Stage possesses extraordinary abilities and remarkable skills. Although Xu Qingfan’s cultivation method is more mysterious, and his magical tools are more refined, he should not overlook others.

For instance, if it were the old Xu Qingfan, he would have carefully explored the abilities and techniques of the Zhong family before officially engaging in battle, then thought of countermeasures, and finally made a move. However, feeling proud, Xu Qingfan acted carelessly and attacked directly, only to find that the people from the Zhong family not only had exceptional skills but were not ordinary golden core cultivators. Their teamwork was skilled and clever, attacking from afar, providing support, or fighting up close. As a result, the moment Xu Qingfan engaged, he suffered a significant loss.

"There are many extraordinary beings in the cultivation world, especially in chaotic times; one must always maintain caution and never underestimate anyone."

Xu Qingfan silently reflected on the first lesson.

The second lesson was the "Five Spirit Bell."

After receiving the "Five Spirit Bell," Xu Qingfan felt he had gained an invincible treasure. As long as he used the "Five Spirit Bell" to protect his body, he hardly feared the attacks of his opponents. Over the years, with the powerful protection of the "Five Spirit Bell," Xu Qingfan enjoyed many advantages in battles.

However, as Xu Qingfan’s strength grew, so did his enemies’ power. Although the "Five Spirit Bell" evolved twice, it gradually became insufficient for the changing situation. Its defense remained incredibly strong, still the highest among all the treasures Xu Qingfan had seen. For any cultivator below the Mahayana Stage, even the strongest attacks could be resisted. But he could no longer recklessly charge forward as he did before, for even if the "Five Spirit Bell" was powerful, it could not withstand heavy blows from opponents without any sensation like it used to.

"With the increase in my enemies’ strength, I can no longer fight as I did before. It is time to change my strategies and tactics. The strength of the ‘Five Spirit Bell’ has helped me, but now it has also limited me."

This was the second lesson Xu Qingfan thought of.

The third lesson was about his cultivation techniques.

Xu Qingfan practiced three cultivation methods in total. The first was his own creation, "Formula of Life and Death," which produced "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi," accounting for more than eighty percent of all the Spirit Qi in Xu Qingfan’s body.

This cultivation method was the most powerful, with many transformations. It included the fast and strong "Life and Death Finger," the rare sealing and suppressing ability known as "Cycle of Life and Death," the destructive "Fusion of Life and Death" against the bodies of living beings, and the healing ability second only to "Phoenix Nirvana" called "Way of Life and Death." Additionally, there was "Wind of Destruction," which evolved from the "Formula of Life and Death," as well as various changes emerging from these techniques. Xu Qingfan’s remarkable abilities came from the "Formula of Life and Death," which is why he gained his great reputation.

Creating such a profound cultivation method as the "Formula of Life and Death" solely by his own efforts was indeed a source of pride for Xu Qingfan.

However, the "Formula of Life and Death" was self-created and had many imperfections. Most importantly, due to his current level, Xu Qingfan was unclear about the future direction of the "Formula of Life and Death." Now, his cultivation of it had reached a bottleneck.

The remaining two cultivation methods are Jiuhua’s main cultivation method, the "Indefinite Sutra," and the Feng family’s cultivation method. However, Xu Qingfan always felt that the Feng family’s method was stolen from Feng Qingtian. Moreover, although the "Indefinite Sutra" is as powerful as the "Formula of Life and Death," it is extremely slow to practice. So for nearly a hundred years, Xu Qingfan had only used the "Indefinite Sutra" as a support and buffer while practicing the "Formula of Life and Death," and he had long abandoned the Phoenix Spirit Qi.

But as the "Formula of Life and Death" reached a bottleneck, Xu Qingfan had to find a new way to break through his strength.

"The ‘Indefinite Sutra’ is one of the top-ranked cultivation methods in the whole cultivation world. I only used it as an aid before and practiced very little, focusing only on the ‘Formula of Life and Death,’ which was too shortsighted. Now, I need to pick up the ‘Indefinite Sutra’ again."

Xu Qingfan quietly thought that this was more of a decision than a lesson.

Xu Qingfan had already summarized these three lessons and decisions on the first day after the Spirit Qi backlash. However, for the past month, he had recalled them every day to remember and not make the same mistakes again.

…

While Xu Qingfan was lost in thought, Dongfang Qingling finished tidying up and returned to Xu Qingfan’s side.

Just as Xu Qingfan expected, Dongfang Qingling stood silently beside him every day this month, shielding him from the harsh sun.

Gratitude was unspoken; it was one of Xu Qingfan’s principles. Seeing Dongfang Qingling do this, he knew she wouldn’t listen if he said anything, so he just smiled softly.

Dongfang Qingling was in the Southern Wasteland, which was a bit messy and dirty. Just after she left, she tidied herself up a bit. Her hair was wet and stuck to her cheeks, making her look even more charming. It was clear that she had just washed her hair.

"Are you reflecting again?"

Dongfang Qingling asked with a smile.

Xu Qingfan smiled and shook his head, saying, "There’s no need to reflect for so long."

When Dongfang Qingling heard this, her smile faded, and she quietly asked, "Are you worried about Martial Brother Jin?"

I have to say, Dongfang Qingling understood Xu Qingfan much better than Xu Qingfan understood her.

Xu Qingfan nodded silently and said slowly, "Yes, it has been such a long time, and there has been no news from Junior Brother Jin. This time when I returned to the Southern Wasteland, although I found you, there was no sign of Junior Brother Jin, and I am really worried about him."

Dongfang Qingling comforted him, saying, "Good people will have good fortune. Martial Brother Jin is the strongest among us. No one in the Southern Wasteland can harm him. He will be fine."

Xu Qingfan smiled sadly and said, "I know, but that is exactly why I am so worried. The unknown danger is the most frightening."

Hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Dongfang Qingling quietly sighed.

In her heart, she kept guessing about Jin Qinghan’s possible whereabouts, but no matter how she speculated, she could not find an answer. In the end, she also sighed helplessly, feeling endless worry but unable to do anything, only shaking her head and stopping her thoughts.

While Dongfang Qingling continued to comfort him, Xu Qingfan fell silent for a moment and suddenly asked, "How many years has it been since we left Jiuhua to join the Righteous Alliance?"

Dongfang Qingling replied, "Almost a hundred years. Why do you suddenly ask this?"

Xu Qingfan sighed, "It’s nothing, I just suddenly thought of something. There are still many things from Jiuhua that I am close to forgetting. I am now wondering if I should bring them back to the world."

As Dongfang Qingling smoothed Xu Qingfan’s slightly messy clothes, she curiously asked, "What things?"

Xu Qingfan was silent for a moment but did not answer her question; instead, he asked, "Junior Martial Sister Dongfang, how do you feel about our strength?"

Although Dongfang Qingling was puzzled by Xu Qingfan changing the subject, she did not think much of it. She smiled gently and replied, "My strength has only reached the late stage of the Real Golden Core Stage. Over the years, I have struggled to make progress. In these battles, I can only barely protect myself. But you, Senior Brother, are blessed with rich resources, now at the late stage of the Golden Core Stage. I believe that reaching the Great Ascension is just around the corner, truly a pillar of our Righteous Alliance."

Xu Qingfan shook his head slightly and sighed, "Among the Condensed Core Stage cultivators, my strength is considered strong. But as my strength increases, I feel even more inadequate. Especially with the ongoing calamity, my current strength is increasingly insufficient. The coming battles have almost turned into top-level fights between Mahayana Stage masters, and I can no longer contribute. Most importantly, if the ‘Ming’ organization achieves its goal, the Shura Clan will pay the price, and I fear I won’t even have the strength to protect myself…"

As he spoke, a look of deep thought appeared in Xu Qingfan’s eyes.

The reason he asked Dongfang Qingling these questions was because he thought of someone and something.

That something was the "World Defying Sword," which he had sealed away in a hidden place in Jiuhua. Xu Qingfan had felt that the "World Defying Sword" was too bloody and violent, so he sealed it. But now, with the imminent return of the Shura Clan, Xu Qingfan felt his own weakness and had the desire to release the "World Defying Sword."

The Shura Clan claimed to have an Immortal Body, but the "World Defying Sword" not only had great power but could also absorb the souls and blood energy of those it harmed. It could likely break through the Shura Clan’s Immortal Body. If the Shura Clan truly returned, having the "World Defying Sword" would at least give Xu Qingfan some chance to protect himself.

The fear Xu Qingfan once had of dark objects had gradually faded over the years of experience. As long as dark objects were used for good, they could also serve a righteous purpose.

The only thing that troubled Xu Qingfan was the vision he had during the divination, where he was surrounded by demonic energy, holding the "Purgatory Staff" in one hand and the "World Defying Sword," which had grown to its full potential, in the other.

…

And that person was someone Xu Qingfan had almost forgotten—Bai Qingfu. After the great disaster in Jiuhua, Bai Qingfu was imprisoned there and had not been released since. The Righteous Alliance was currently searching for the "Ming" organization and Zhang Xusheng’s whereabouts. If they could convince Bai Qingfu to join the Righteous Alliance, they would have a lead on Zhang Xusheng.

Once they found Zhang Xusheng, they might be able to recover the "Four Spirit Sky Map." If they could track down the "Ming" organization in the last year, they could also prevent the return of the Shura Clan, thereby avoiding a future catastrophe.

When Dongfang Qingling heard Xu Qingfan’s words, she was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Shura Clan?"

Xu Qingfan hesitated for a moment, thinking that whether or not the Shura Clan would return, the matter would only be made public in the past one or two years. Since Dongfang Qingling was not an outsider, he ultimately decided to tell her the final secret of the "Ming" organization.

Hearing about the terror of the Shura Clan, Dongfang Qingling’s face changed, and she asked, "Is there really no way to stop them?"

A determined look flashed in Xu Qingfan’s eyes as he slowly said, "Junior Martial Sister Dongfang, don’t worry. No matter what happens in the future, I will not let anyone hurt you."

When Dongfang Qingling heard Xu Qingfan say this, she felt warmth in her heart, and her earlier worries faded away.

Unknowingly, the target that Xu Qingfan wanted to protect now included the name Dongfang Qingling. Even if there was no romantic feeling, her careful attention over the past few days made Xu Qingfan see her as someone close to him.

"Junior Martial Sister Dongfang, after the Southern Wasteland is over, would you like to go back to Jiuhua with me?"

Xu Qingfan suddenly asked.

"Sure."

Dongfang Qingling replied.

Just at that moment, something strange happened.

A violent and terrifying force suddenly came from the distance. The once peaceful Southern Wasteland was now in chaos, with demon beasts running in all directions, all showing signs of fear. Dust and smoke rose up, Xu Qingfan’s body stiffened and he couldn’t turn his head. Dongfang Qingling looked towards the source of the chaos, and her expression changed drastically.